Rotary Volunteers Make Life Easier for CB Middle Schooler

Never underestimate the good a dedicated group of people holding hammers - or drills, saws, or other tools - can accomplish.

A group of Central Bucks Rotary volunteers are putting the truth to that wisdom this year, most recently in a project to help a Unami Middle School student.

Jisoo Kim, a student at Unami, uses a wheelchair after being injured in a skiing accident. Her family was using a makeshift plywood ramp to get her from the garage into the house. But the ramp was too steep and unsafe.

Enter a group of local guys who are members of the Central Bucks Rotary.

Last month, they converged on Kim's home in Chalfont to build a handicapped accessible entrance to her house. Tim Ernst, of E&E Building Group, spearheaded the project, which was completed in a single afternoon.

Mark Glidden, of Doylestown, was one of the 14 volunteers who showed up to help.

"We only needed about five people to finish the project and 14 came out. That tells you a lot about how popular this is," Glidden said Tuesday.

This is the second project that the Central Bucks Rotary Rotobuild initiative has taken on this year. Rotary members who are contractors or have other necessary skills donate their time and talent to help area families with home repairs or projects that enhance safety or well-being.

The first Rotobuild project this year was a partnership with Habitat for Humanity called "A Brush with Kindness." In February, those volunteers built a new porch and stairway for a family in Doylestown Township.

Ernst, who heads the Rotobuild committee, already is vetting the third project, Glidden said. The volunteers want to make sure the people they help really need the help, he said. So far, they have no shortage of potential projects.

"We’re trying to reach out and help folks who kind of fall between gaps," Glidden said. "Despite the fact that this is seen as an affluent community, there seems to be an awful lot of need."

This group is working with area human service agencies to identify projects that would help families who otherwise could not afford them. Volunteers typically donate their labor and up to $1,500 worth of materials for each project, which usually can be completed in a weekend.

Seeing their skills really help their Central Bucks neighbors is all the reward they need, Glidden said.

"It’s amazing that something as simple as a ramp let this family get back to as much of a normal life as possible," he said.

This is just one of the many service projects the Central Bucks Rotary has tackled. Last year, they held a through Shelterbox.

They also sponsor the Ride for the Heroes to raise money to donate to the Travis Manion Foundation. This year's ride will be Sunday, May 20.

For more information, visit the Central Bucks Rotary website.