ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Electrical company Ameren and the nonprofit Rebuilding Together St. Louis joined forces to support a woman who has struggled to get in and out of her house for years.
Volunteers drilled and sawed wood outside of a home in St. John in north St. Louis County on Saturday.
Construction manager Anthon Gartner said that Katherine Love had a stroke back in 2016 and had lost her husband the same year. She had been confined to her bed with illness since.
He and his crew partnered with Ameren to install and ramp and walkway in front of the woman's home in addition to new stairs at the back of the house.
"If there was a fire and she had to somehow get out the back, it was impossible," he said.
The partnership provides service for a costly project that many with disabilities or seniors struggle to pay for.
"You're probably looking at about a $10,000-14,000 dollar ramp right here," Gartner said.
A spokesperson for Ameren said the electrical company makes an effort to provide helping hands for at least two of these projects every year. That includes Missouri and Illinois.
"It's a long process and she's been here for a long time waiting for this," said Richard Stone, electrical operations supervisor. "One of our core values is safety, so we want to get out here and we want to keep a safe Aq while we're out here and make it safe for her to be able to get in and out of her house
"Ramps, stairs, grab bars, safety features, fire prevention, fall prevention — there's so many out here that the average homeowner needs and it's impossible for them to get the help for it," added Gartner.
Volunteers said the process was special for those on both ends of the service.
"I'm one of the few that get to see the process, from the hard times at the beginning to the joy at the very end. It's emotional in such a good way. It humbles you at the least," Gartner said.
Rebuilding Together St. Louis has provided free home repairs to veterans and seniors throughout the region for 30 years.