The Dallas Ramp Project

THE DALLAS RAMP PROJECT Building Freedom for the Homebound In 1985, the Kiwanis Club of Richardson began building access ramps for residents of Dallas and its suburbs. In the years since, with expanded corporate and volunteer support, The Dallas Ramp Project has built nearly 2000 ramps, at a current rate of more than 240 per year. Our volunteers say it's the most satisfying work they have ever done; liberating people imprisoned in their homes, unable to get out because of the front steps that most take for granted. The Dallas Ramp Project works with the City of Dallas, social-services organizations, and hospitals to identify clients who need a ramp. We are 100% volunteer staffed, relying on individual donations and our corporate partners to provide the funding, building materials, and facilities for our work. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What will we be doing? You'll do whatever amount of light construction you're comfortable with. Our primary tool is a drill, either cordless or corded. We use them to screw everything together, and when we're not using screws we're using bolts that need a hole drilled first. The work occasionally calls for a circular saw or other power tools, but if you're not comfortable or familiar with those, you won't be asked to use them. Where should we show up? Our usual gathering location is our warehouse on Simonton Road. Our warehouse is on the Southwest corner of FreedÂÂ's FurnitureÂÂ's warehouse, so look for the FreedÂÂ's sign. Please note this is NOT the FreedÂÂ's Furniture location on the frontage road of 635! At this location, we'll divide the volunteers into working teams, assign them to a ramp, and pair them with an experienced volunteer or two who'll drive a truck or trailer with all the materials to the site. Volunteers carpool from the warehouse to the ramp site. When should we show up? 8AM, except June-July-August when we start at 7AM to beat the heat. How long will this take? The goal is to be done at the ramp site by noon (11AM in the summer). What should we bring? It's very useful, but not required, to bring a drill, either corded (with an extension cord) or cordless. Any other woodworking tools you want to use are quite welcome, but we'll have at least one of everything needed at the build site. If you've tender hands you might want to bring gloves. We've always got bottled water, but you're welcome to bring something else to drink if you prefer. Bring a camera ÂÂ- youÂÂ'll want to have a picture of the results of your hard work! What should we wear? This is light construction work. Dress comfortably for the outdoors, and expect to get dirty and sweaty.