Area volunteers build wheelchair ramp for veteran's wife on Veteran's Day

What better way is there to help a local veteran and his wife than on Veteran’s Day?

Osceola Council on Aging and The Home Depot Foundation and Team Depot partnered together to build a 48-foot wheelchair ramp for U.S. Marine veteran Ricky Mark, 58 and his wife, Debra, 67, who have lived in their Holopaw home for six years. Even as Hurricane Eta churned out in the Gulf of Mexico, the volunteers hammered, sawed and dug to complete the work.

“It’s a godsend to me,” said Debra, who has a variety of health issues and has difficulty leaving the home.

Debra said she doesn’t have any “stretch” in her feet and has fallen down the stairs outside, one time breaking two ribs.

“It’s going to be a lot easier for me,” she said. 

Besides building the ramp, the volunteer team also landscaped the yard and installed a 22-foot lighted flagpole to enhance the appearance of the home.
Ricky said it was special that the ramp was being built on Veteran’s Day. He served in the Marines from 1982-86 as a helicopter mechanic.
“A lot of people are coming together,” Ricky said.
The project is part of Helping Homebound Heroes, a program in partnership with The Home Depot Foundation that is bringing help and hope to deserving senior veterans in Osceola County.
“It’s very special,” said St. Cloud Home Depot Store Manager Ron Potvin. “My grandfather was a veteran in World War II, and be able to give back and honor all the men and women that gave up their lives for our  country – it’s amazing."

Home Depot associates, dressed in their signature orange company shirts, worked from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Veteran’s Day to complete the work.

“We (Home Depot) have a set of core values and one of those is giving back,” Potvin said. “It just comes natural that they (associates) want to help others in the community.

Since 2011, The Home Depot Foundation has invested more than $350 million to provide safe housing to veterans, and along with the help of Team Depot volunteers, has transformed more than 48,000 homes for veterans in 4,500 cities. In 2018, the Foundation pledged an additional $250 million to veteran causes taking the total commitment to half a billion by 2025.

“We support our local veterans, especially our senior Veterans who served and fought for our freedom, so by providing them a safe and livable home is key in keeping our community a better place for all of us,” said Wendy Ford, president of the Council on Aging. “Having a partner like The Home Depot gives us the tools to assist our Veterans keep their independence, so we are grateful for the partnership to make this happen.” 

Ricky had a message for those who helped improve the quality of life for his wife.

“Thank you very, very much,” he said.