A competitive dragon boat team from The Villages, The Dragon Boat Sisters, this past week worked on their second critical home repair with Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter.
The Dragon Boat Sisters have raised funds and volunteered over the course of three days to ensure the home is safe and ADA accessible for the homeowner, Mary Sterling.
When asked why this project is important, one of the team members mentioned that “we are giving a hand up to help Ms. Mary, she needs this ramp for her mobility in life and we’re putting that in plus freshening her home with a coat of paint and landscaping.”
The project scope included installing new shutters, rebuilding entry-way stairs and building a 45-foot aluminum wheelchair ramp to enable ease of access into the home. Painting and landscaping for the exterior of the home will be the finishing touches of the project.
Sterling said that it feels amazing to have her house repaired. She has been on the wait list for two years so this can happen, and she feels “so blessed and happy” to finally have this opportunity.
“The ramp is just going to be so perfect for myself and for my few friends that use walkers,” she added.
Through Habitat Lake-Sumter’s Preservation and Repair program, volunteers and sponsors work to preserve the existing affordable housing stock, improve accessibility and safety of homes through exterior repairs.
Lacie Himes, the Development Director of Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter, said the goal for the project is to keep the home safe, livable and improve accessibility.
“It’s not always going to be a new home that is going to benefit the family, it’s maintaining what they already own,” Himes added.