Like many of us, Rebecca O’Dell welcomes the arrival of spring. For her, though, enjoying the outdoors isn’t as simple as going out the front door.
“I’m pretty much housebound. To get out of the house, I need a couple of people to help me,” said O’Dell.
That will soon no longer be the case. A group of Windsor Central High School students are building a ramp that will allow O’Dell to leave her home by herself with her wheelchair.
“This way I’ll be able to get in and out of the house on my own. I can get out, enjoy the weather, enjoy my neighbors,” said O’Dell.
Varsity Club and Engineering Design and Development students are building the addition to O’Dell’s Conklin home through the Ramp it Up Program. The program, run by the Broome County Council of Churches, is committed to providing easier home access to individuals in Broome County. This marks the 15th ramp build WCHS students have participated in since 2012.
“It’s a break from school while still being in school. It’s nice to learn new skills, especially when you’re able to help someone out while doing it,” said sophomore Gabe Soundararaj. “It’s nice to help others and better the community.”
As O’Dell watched the students from her window, one part of the view stood out.
“I like seeing all those ponytails out there – girl power,” said O’Dell. “When I was in school, they wouldn’t let girls take shop, just home economics. It’s good to see kids getting hands-on work.”
WCHS senior Bridgett McLain is no stranger to that kind of work. She recently helped her grandfather build an addition onto his house. She brought those skills to the ramp build.
“I thought it would be cool. I haven’t done it before and I wanted to see what it was like,” said McLain. “It feels like we’re helping someone out with their daily tasks in life. We sometimes forget how lucky we are to be able to do those things.”