A Pictorial Essay of Our Latest Ramp Build (photos by John Ohnstad)

Ramp Up Marathon County to Build Third Ramp of 2015

Louise has been helping others her entire life and still gives her time to drive others to appointments, but now she needs a little help herself to get safely into and out of her home in Wausau. 

“I have always had a bad back, and I’ve had both knees and one hip replaced,” Louise said. “It’s very hard to go up and down the stairs. I am so grateful that Ramp Up Marathon County is going to build a ramp for me.”

A friend encouraged Louise to apply for assistance through the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Central Wisconsin (ADRC-CW). She met the eligibility criteria for Ramp Up Marathon County, so ADRC-CW staff helped her fill out the application and Ramp Up Marathon County agreed to build a ramp. Materials are paid for through grant money raised from several local foundations and individual donations, and all planning and construction labor is donated by local volunteers. This is the third ramp build for the group this summer. 

Many hours of work have already gone into the project with site visits and detailed construction design, creating and double checking a materials list, organizing materials, planning for materials delivery and lining up a volunteer construction team. Materials will be delivered on August 17^th and building should be in full swing on August 18 and 19^th.  

“I’m not used to asking for help, but I’m real glad I did,” Louise noted. “The people I’ve met from Ramp Up Marathon County have just been great. Without them I don’t know if I would have ever gotten a ramp.”

To find out how you can volunteer, donate or make a referral, call Erin Wells, Community Resources Manager at the Aging and Disability Resource Center, toll free at 1-888-486-9545, or Nancy Keller at Midstate Independent Living Consultants at 800-382-8484 ext. 211. Or, visit www.RampUpMC.org. Marathon County is a program of Midstate Independent Living Consultants, Inc.