By Brianna Stephens
An elderly woman living alone in Eastern Kentucky felt trapped in her home. With only one family member nearby to help her, she depends on nearly 80 feet of ramp and decking to give her safe accessibility in and out of her home. However, since being built 15 years ago, the wood had deteriorated, leaving holes and unstable surfaces on the ramp. It was in such bad condition, emergency responders found it difficult to safely get to the woman in her home when she had medical emergencies.
“When we came to do the inspection on her home, we noticed she also needed new underpinning because what was there was broken and allowing the cold weather to come in,” said John Harris, an Elderly Home Repair crew leader at Christian Appalachian Project (CAP). “We helped lift a burden off her by replacing the ramp and going above and beyond to provide protection for her trailer to make it safe, warm, and dry. This project is going to make a huge impact on her life.”
Replacing the ramp and decking in addition to the new underpinning was a large project to take on, but the many hands of volunteers during CAP’s YouthFest event, an alternative spring break opportunity for high school students, made steady progress toward completion.
John and Isabella Oliva, a father and daughter pair from Michigan, were committed hands helping on the job. John has volunteered with CAP for the past 12 years through YouthFest, WorkFest, an alternative spring break for college students, and other mission group opportunities. He also is a CAP ambassador and helps recruit new groups to come serve with the organization. Lisa Oliva also joined her husband and daughter for a week of service, but volunteered as part of the “kitchen crew,” helping to prepare meals at the host site.
Serving together with his family at CAP was John’s dream after being inspired by another family of volunteers years ago. “Very early on in my experience, my daughter, who might have been 6 years old at the time, did not have a great appreciation of what was going on. She just knew that once a year dad disappeared for a week and said he was going to help people in Kentucky,” John said. “Now this is my family’s third time serving at CAP together and it feels like it's come full circle.”
Although she may not have understood why her dad was serving in Kentucky when she was younger, Isabella has followed in his footsteps and has a passion for serving people in Appalachia.
“At home I’m focused on all of my schoolwork and then I get here, and I see the world outside of that,” Isabella said. “I love doing the work here and learning new skills. I hope the participant is surprised with her new ramp. I want to provide her with some sort of peace. I know that was a constant worry in her life. I want to keep coming back to CAP.”
