Ramping Up in Retirement
Originally published in the Central Washington Catholic Charities e-newsletter. Most of the Ramp Team are members of Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Kennewick.
by Christina McCarthy
As we reach that certain age, many begin dreaming of a life of endless weekends. No more alarm clocks, no scheduled hours, plenty of time for fishing. Ahhh, retirement!
Such a life is the goal of many, but not for Tom Ham and his Ramp Team. Instead, this group of nine active retired men has dedicated their retirement freedom to helping those who need a hand. The Ramp Team travels Central Washington building wheelchair ramps and completing other home projects. These projects allow individuals to remain living independently in their own homes. Presently, they completed their 309th project.
“We’re primarily called out to engineer and construct ramps, but I learned long ago to take a look around when I’m at a client’s home. Broken steps, wobbly deck rails, leaky plumbing - are often other repairs that are needed beyond the homeowner’s ability,” says Tom. “And we are there to help.”
The Ramp Team formally joined Catholic Charities in 2012, when members worked on a few homes on the Yakama Reservation. There they ran into Tom Blackeagle, working for Catholic Charities Volunteer Service and dedicated to helping his community. Not only was Blackeagle building ramps and repairing homes, but he was also providing food assistance and transportation to medical appointments for those who needed the help.
“When we saw all the good work he was doing, we offered to partner with him and Catholic Charities,” recalls Tom. “And then we got really busy!”
Over the years, the Ramp Team has offered its services from the Tri-Cities to Yakima. Because the men’s backgrounds are varied, they can do everything from engineering the projects to getting the needed permits, to the actual construction and finish work.
After securing permits and materials, many projects take just a day to complete, with four to all nine of the Team members contributing their time and talent. The group also contributes to larger jobs with upwards of 20 outside volunteers, often from local churches. Because they’re so busy, they are always looking for new Ramp Team members.
When asked why they’re willing to spend so many hours of their retirement working, they were quick to answer.
Darrell Haldeman, a Team member for the last three years, shares that helping others reminds him of how lucky he is. “We share the gifts we have, often with those who don’t have a lot. This volunteering really reminds me to appreciate how blessed I am.”
Mike O’Neill’s reasons stemmed from self-discovery: “I found out I have a little Native American in my background, and after learning all I could about that, I wanted to give back,” he explains.
Six-year Ramp Team Member Jerry Ethridge's words sum things up. “There is a satisfaction that comes from helping people in need,” he says. “And I don’t think you can get that feeling from anything else.”
Indeed, helping others is at the root of our humanness. It is doing what God wants us to do. To join the Ramp Team or any other Volunteer Services teams that Catholic Charities provides throughout the community, please call Stephanie Ketcham, Associate Director of Volunteer Programs at 509-965-7100.
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