A New Mexico nonprofit organization is working to build ramps for elderly and disabled people.
The New Mexico Ramp Project brings volunteers together from across the state to build wheelchair ramps and raise awareness of their necessity, according to KOB 4.
“A lot of people don’t realize how many people are affected by the ability, or inability, to get in and out of their homes,” Greg Hallstrom, executive director of the organization, told KOB 4. “It then actually leads to mental issues, primarily isolation and depression – the elderly, specifically.”
Nearly 289,000 adults in New Mexico have mobility issues; out of those, approximately 77,000 require a ramp in order to get up or down a flight of stairs, KOB 4 reported.
“People in walkers have trouble getting down stairs and sometimes they fall; people in wheelchairs sometimes can’t come down stairs,” Hallstrom said.
The nonprofit faces the challenge of rising wood prices, which results in ramps costing much more than they used to.
“Wood prices have gone through the roof; an average 30-foot ramp is running us $2,000,” Hallstrom told KOB 4.
The nonprofit relies on corporate sponsorship and private donations from community members.
Visit the New Mexico Ramp Project’s website for more information.