Volunteers make a big difference

The Day of Caring Volunteers:

Fred Gatewood Jr.
Jim Robinson
Ron McGuire
Bill Hlavaty
Larry Hardaway
Tommy Jackson
Jay Kruckman

At this years United Way Day of Caring, the Memphis Center for Independent Living had the best project, and the best volunteers.

Outside all day, on one of these real scorchers we have been having. Seven volunteers built a wheelchair access ramp for a Frayser woman. It is simple to see the tremendous good deed that was accomplished: now another citizen can use their home and is less dependent on friends, family and the community.

Compared to many of the United Way projects, to build a ramp on an extremely hot day is a great sacrifice. The volunteers however, were dedicated and capable. They were willing to make the sacrifice to see that a neighbor could independently use her home.

The true reward did come for all the volunteers. Around 4:00 p.m. the volunteers cleared the final working debris from the ramp and watched as the grateful member of the Memphis community used the ramp for the first time.