Ramp Builders Also Build Sheds for Flood Victims in Blanco County
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Blanco County’s wheelchair-ramp-builders are now building storage sheds for flood survivors who need a place to secure belongings they’ve recovered, and will soon need safe storage for tools and construction supplies as they rebuild. The materials for the 8x12 sheds cost $900 each, but with donations from generous supporters the team is providing them free to survivors of the storms. These workers are, left to right, Tom Hardy, David Hamm and Johnson City United Methodist Church Pastor Lee Romero.
Blanco County's wheelchair-ramp-building volunteers have changed plans and diagrams and are now making storage sheds for survivors of the flooding on the Blanco River.
“It’s not something people think of as part of disaster recovery,” said First United Methodist Church Pastor Lee Romero “but it’s an important part of getting lives back in order.
“A family needs the shed early as they salvage their belongings out of the mud and debris, because there’s no place to put household goods when you’re sleeping in a shelter, a motel, or a friend’s guest room. Later, when they’re rebuilding, they’ll need a place to secure tools and construction supplies.”
The team plans to build the sheds the same way they do wheelchair ramps — constructing transportable modules in the shop, then assembling the sections on-site.
“At full speed, we can turn out a storage shed a week”, said shop boss David Hamm. “The trick is going to be connecting with flood survivors who need them, so we know where they should go. Most folks won’t think to ask for them through disaster relief agencies, and they’re not something we can store in distribution centers."
Reports from the flood zone say all the area storage space was grabbed up quickly, leaving long travel times to find a commercial storage facility. Having a place right on-site would make a huge difference to survivors.
“We’ll do our work in the shop during the week,” Hamm said, “then trailer the modules down to the flood zone and put them together on-site on the weekends. That way, no matter when a volunteer has free time, they can join a team and help.
“And it’s not all men, either. Some of our best workers have been women, and with school out, we can put youth to work, too. We have a job for anyone who wants to help the flood survivors, no matter what their availability or skill level.”
If you’re a flood survivor who needs a shed, or want to support the storage shed project, call Angie in the church office in Johnson Cat 830-868-7414.
