Kids raise $30,000 to build home for disabled classmate
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SYLVANIA, Ohio -
Sixteen-year-old Sylvania Southview student Val Taylor uses a wheelchair due to multiple disabilities. And that made it hard for her to get around her family's small home. But her classmates and local construction professionals teamed up build a bigger and fully accessable house for Val and her family.
It's called Project H.A.V.E.N. (Home Accessibility for Val's Exceptional Needs)
According to David Rumpf of the Professional Remodelers Organization, the kids at her school got the ball rolling with a fundraiser.
"We had no idea these kids could raise the amount of money they did. They raised 30,000 dollars. That was the seed money that came to us to help them put this project together."
More than 40 contractors and suuppliers are donating their skills and supplies to help make the dream of a new home a reality for Val.
Rumpf said, "When she got in the front door, she's trapped. They would have to carry her through the house. Mom and dad slept in the living room. There's a fantastic need right there. We saw that. We recognized it. We worked with it."
The Taylor family is going from a limited acces 500 square foot home to one triple in size with all the amenities.
General Contractor Scott Hinz says, "It's a good feeling for all of us. Our crew. We like the feedback and we like to see the finished product and the customer, their reaction when the product's finished."
It normally takes six months to fuild a house, but with help from Val's classmates, this one should be done in around 40 days.
Student Benjamin Diehl says, "It gives you a good feeling that something you've built will be used for someone."
Project organizers say they could still use volunteers. They need plumbers and food for the workers each day. Anyone interested in donating can call 419-471-0101
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