BY SAM GILLETTE

Sun Staff Writer

sgillette@evesun.com

EARLVILLE – Going to the grocery store or a doctor's appointment may not seem like difficult tasks, but for many people reliant on a wheel-chair (or otherwise handicapped) it can seem insurmountable. This is the case for Kathy Sweet, an elderly and handicapped resident of Earlville, who has not been able to leave her house for more than five months because the ramp for her wheelchair is not stable.

In response to this and other such housing crises, the Chenango United Way (United Way) and The Impact Project have partnered together.

On June 14, The Impact Project volunteers will build Sweet an approximately sixty foot ramp and concrete landing that will allow her safe access from her backdoor to her car. The Impact Project, one of United Way's funded community partners, addresses a crucial problem in Chenango County.

Elizabeth Monaco, Executive Director of United Way, explained, “The issue of housing is growing in our community, and is not just homelessness, but sub-standard living conditions. The Impact Project is helping to stabilize families who otherwise can't live in their home.”