Franklin County deputies repair wheelchair ramp built 15 years ago

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) -Franklin County Sheriff’s Office deputies have been building ramps for residents who need them for more than 10 years.

The ramps make it easier for residents to get in and out of their homes. The projects are made possible through a charity fund that helps cover the costs. The sheriff’s office said the labor does not cost residents anything.

Deputies on Monday were repairing a wheelchair ramp the office installed about 15 years ago because the wood started to rot.

Franklin County resident Mildred Cooper described how the sheriff’s office became involved.

“I was going to fix it myself and my pastor got word of it and she called A.J and they came to see me, he said they would fix it them self and that’s a blessing,” Cooper said.

Sheriff A.J. Smith said the ramps give residents a way to be mobile.

“It’s a way for somebody to be mobile. I mean, some people couldn’t get out of their home if they didn’t have a ramp, they’d be stuck inside,” Smith said.

Maj. Gary Marteen of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said the work means a lot in the county.

“In our county it means a lot, cause a lot of people don’t have the money to build ramps nowadays stuff is so expensive that us coming in and building ramps and helping them we call it gods work I mean its a blessing to them especially if their handicapped and they start getting older,” Marteen said.

Smith said the ramps cost about $5,000 each. He said the office builds them from aluminum so they can be reused.

The sheriff’s office said the supplies are bought with money from the charity fund. The labor does not cost the resident anything, the office said.

Smith said the office has about five ramps in its queue that it hopes to fund.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Charity Fund is a 501(c)(3), Smith said. The sheriff’s office said the fund allows deputies to continue helping residents who need accessibility improvements.

Information on how to donate is available at franklinsheriff.com/charity-fund.

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