Rebuilding Together Minnesota Supports a Veteran in Need in Partnership with Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin, Accessibility Ramp

Last month, Rebuilding Together Minnesota partnered with Lockheed Martin to provide critical accessibility improvements for a Cannon Falls veteran, Terry, and his wife, Gwen. 

At just a mere 17 years old in 1973, Terry joined the military, celebrating his 18th birthday in basic training. He had learned from his father the importance of respect and a good work ethic, and so he set out to do his part for his country. 

He served 13 years with the Wisconsin Army National Guard, earning the position of Staff Sergeant and Radio Teletype Team Chief. Terry trained folks in the proper use of military radios, and also spent many years as a radio operator in the M.A.R.S. (Military Affiliate Radio System) program. He later retired after a career as a local maintenance electrician, and he and Gwen recently celebrated their 30th anniversary together.

Recently, Terry’s health has started to decline. After learning he would need to have surgery to amputate one of his lower legs, the couple began their search for access ramps so that Terry could be discharged and return home safely.

They found themselves in a tough situation, as so many of our clients have. Since he and his wife rely largely on Social Security to pay the bills, they struggled to find affordable access ramps. 

In an effort to get Terry’s care and return home handled in a timely manner, they decided on a rental ramp that required a quarter of his monthly income to maintain. They knew their situation was unsustainable, and then they heard about Rebuilding Together Minnesota.

Thanks to financial support from Lockheed Martin and at least 10 RTMN volunteers, our team was able to install a brand new – and most importantly, free – access ramp for Terry and Gwen. 

“A tremendous weight has been lifted,” said Terry. “I am so humbled and thankful for the Rebuilding Together Minnesota project, and because of them, I now look forward to staying safely and independently in our home for many more years.”

Every day, we see the very real impact our services have for our clients. Not only does this ramp support Terry and Gwen’s ability to remain independent and connected to their community, but it’s also one less thing they need to worry about paying for. We’re proud to support our older neighbors and veterans, and we thank Terry for his service!

Jackson Project Day Organized and Executed by Local Volunteer

We would like to send a special shout out to Dennis Bertram aka “Bert” who recently organized a project for a 95-year-old widow, Eleanor, whose front porch was rotting away and needed other repairs to her home. Eleanor and her husband were missionaries, donating most of their money and time to those in need and keeping just enough money to live on. A parishioner at their church has asked Bert if he could help Eleanor fix a broken door lock, but when he arrived at her home, he realized the home needed additional repairs. Bert organized the whole project day, including handling volunteer recruitment and support and overseeing the project days. The volunteers ranged in age from teenagers to mid-70s and the project provided a great opportunity to mingle and share. Bert also invited Eleanor and her daughter to visit his church, and the church community has whole-heartedly embraced Eleanor and her daughter. One of the parishioners even took them to lunch during one of the volunteer days.

Bert has been a remodeling contractor for more than 40 years and has been giving his time and talents as a carpenter for 15 years. He has been on mission trips all over the world, repairing homes in Puerto Rico, Saipan, Canada, Kentucky, and right in his own community. After flooding devastated Rock Valley, Iowa, he knew his talents and abilities as a carpenter weren’t just to make a living. He felt called to do more. Bert said, “The Bible says you should give 10%, but time is even more valuable than money.” He originally went to Rock Valley to help for a week, but ended up doing three more weeks. One of his last projects was a home with a young family with two little girls. Their bedroom was in the basement and had been flooded, so the girls were sleeping on the couch until the basement was repaired. They came home from school on the last day of the project with a drawing of a stick figure with a hammer and a note that read “thank you for giving my bedroom back to me.” Bert said that he realized this was God’s calling for him. He currently gives 8-9 weeks a year to eastern Kentucky during spring break to help make homes there warm, safe, and dry.

Our Program Manager Galen Kauffman reached out to Bert to see if he could assist with developing scopes of work, materials lists, etc. Bert went above and beyond. For our Jackson Rebuilding Day, he reviewed six projects in detail, developed scopes of work, and made lists of all supplies and tools needed for each project. He also recruited volunteer skilled House Captains for the six homes. According to Galen Kauffman, our Southwest Program Manager, “The success of our Jackson Rebuilding Day was in large part a credit to Bert. He has the vision, the ability, the connections, and the heart.”

Honeywell Team Builds Ramp for 17-Year-Old

Our amazing Honeywell Ramp Team recently built a ramp for a 17-year-old who uses a motorized wheelchair due to a hereditary disease that causes muscle deterioration.  Eight Ramp Team volunteers completed this ramp in one day! 

The ramp was constructed and installed in the garage.  According to long-time volunteer, Paul Parrish, this ramp was “quite different, well-designed, and a crafty workmanship ramp project.”  He went on to say the project was successful with a “happy family finish”!

We are so grateful to our Ramp Teams who are changing lives, one ramp at a time.  Thank you!

Collaborating to Help a Veteran in Need

We recently helped Mark, a Minnetonka veteran of the Marine Corps, with repairs to his home.  During his time with the Marine’s, Mark received several awards, including the Rifle Sharpshooter Badge, National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal (twice), and a Letter of Appreciation.  While serving in the Marines, Mark was a cook and pastry chef and was quite passionate about it. 

Mark has lived in his home for 30 years. Built in the early 1900s, the home has experienced some issues over the years that would create large structural problems should they be ignored. Not only did the basement still have dirt floors, but the last roofing replacement took place approximately 20 years ago. Wear and tear from over the years was causing rainwater to leak into his single-car garage and inside the walls of his home.

We partnered with Capital Construction, GAF-Roofing, and HUD’s Veteran Home Modification and Repair Pilot Program to repair Mark’s roof, replace an unsealed basement window, reinforce the basement walls, and completely seal his basement.  These repairs will ensure Mark’s home is safe and healthy for years to come.

Check out the blog post by Capital Construction here to learn more about this project.