Building Blitz Makes An Impact
When more than 100 dedicated employees join together for an awesome cause — creating ramps for seniors with mobility challenges — the results are dynamic! Last week, Westminster Canterbury Richmond held its Second Annual Ramp Building Blitz with our partner, project:HOMES. Teams came out to the tents on our campus, learned the process, and went to work! Every hour, a new team took over – throughout the two days. “We’ve sent an SOS to Lowe’s for a quick lumber delivery,” team lead Brad Burnam of project: HOMES reported early in the second day. “These teams are really rolling!” With motivation high, weather great, music playing and food trucks cooking, the Blitz was great fun and super productive.
Westminster Canterbury Richmond’s ramp build is a key part of our organization’s ongoing response to the community needs assessment we conducted to learn the needs of seniors in the Richmond, Virginia, region. One of the key findings is the need for people to age in place, yet access services. When mobility issues arise, challenges heighten and the simple solution of a ramp can make all the difference. Since there is a long waiting list for ramps, our employees are striving to make a real impact.
In addition to meeting a need, our workforce is loving the power of working together. They held multiple fundraisers to provide the $15,000 needed to purchase lumber and hardware for the ramps. “It was so fun to do, and exciting to realize we were making a difference for seniors around Richmond,” said Leota Parandeh, who organized the effort. “Our employees are true experts in senior care and this is an awesome way to share that expertise. It is an honor to be involved.”
To learn more or to help with other outreach efforts for seniors in our region, contact Gayle Haglund at ghaglund@wcrichmond.org.