Cooper, volunteers install new ramp at Village House

FREMONT - A member of Clyde St. Mary’s Boy Scout Troop 320 has completed an Eagle Scout project that will make a local nonprofit organization safer for its handicapped clients.

Cayleb Cooper, 17, repaired and refurbished the handicap ramp at Village House in Fremont.

The ramp has long been in need of attention, but Village House executive director Sue Fuller was not in a financial position to have it fixed. Many of the handrails were loose and some of the floor boards were lifting.

“We had to tear out a bunch of stuff,” Cooper said. “Some of the handrails were really sloppy, and it shook everywhere. We replaced a lot of boards.”

When Cooper approached Fuller, she was ecstatic that a solution to the rickety ramp had walked in her door.

“I sat in her office, and she said she didn’t know what she was going to do about the ramp, and she didn’t know what to do about the money to pay for it. I came at the perfect time,” Cooper said.

The Village House provides safe, supervised visitation and exchanges for children and their families. Cooper had personal reasons for choosing the organization for his Eagle project.

“I thought it would be great, because my brothers used to use the services here,” he said.

Before he could begin work on the project, he first had to acquire funding. Cooper distributed about 200 letters requesting donations. The project cost was about $1,000, and he received about $2,000. All of the remaining money will be donated to Village House.

“So for Sue, it’s been a windfall. She got the ramp and the cash,” said Cooper’s mother, Jamie Withem.

Several local businesses helped cut the cost of the project. Gordon Lumber in Fremont offered a substantially reduced price on the wood; O.E. Meyer Co. donated safety glasses and work gloves; Clyde Ace Hardware donated pressure wash and sealer; Little Caesar’s Pizza offered pizza for the workers at a discounted price; and Down Thyme Café gave Cooper a discount on coffee for the group.

Cooper completed the project with the help of his father, fellow Scouts, and members of Carpenters Local 744. Carpenter Doug Zink helped Cooper oversee the project. The men volunteered their time and skill, working for free.

“We showed up on Saturday morning not knowing Doug would be here with five trained carpenters,” Withem said.

In addition to repairing and replacing wood on the ramp, the group also pressure washed and sealed the ramp and added skid strips. Neighborhood children occasionally played under the ramp, so the workers enclosed the bottom for safety.

Fuller is more than pleased with the project’s results.

“I was extremely overwhelmed with Cayleb’s kindness and graciousness to look at something that needed to be done and do it. It was not something simple,” Fuller said. “He did a wonderful job. I was just very humbled and honored that he chose our facility for his project.”

Fuller said the project benefits not only the Village House clients and Cayleb’s goal of reaching Eagle rank, but also everyone at St. Ann’s Church.

“The one thing I want to emphasize is, we’re very blessed to lease the building on St. Ann’s campus. A lot of people have commented on how nice it looks, so it adds value to the whole St. Ann’s campus,” she said. “Since it’s more appealing, more people may be inclined to use it.”

Contact News-Messenger correspondent Sheri Trusty atsheri.trusty@gmail.com or 419-639-0662.