Photo By Tech. Sgt. Melissa Chatham | Amani Rhodes, a severely disabled 5-year-old girl takes her first ride on her...... read more read more
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Capitol Heights, Md. – Volunteers of Christmas in April, a Prince George’s county nonprofit volunteer organization, teamed up with the local community to furnish a severely disabled 5-year-old girl with an electric wheelchair lift and home repairs here, April 27.
Members of the Capitol Heights Volunteer Fire Department, Prince George’s Community College Honor Society, and Suitland, Md., AARP volunteered with Christmas in April to assist Amani Rhodes and her family with home repairs, accommodations and improvements focusing on her fragile health conditions.
Amani suffers from strokes, anoxic brain injury, a muscle disorder, known as congenital fiber type disproportion, which has left her unable to walk.
She breathes through a ventilator and speaks through a tracheal tube and with such conditions is only mobile by utilizing a large electric wheelchair.
She has daily appointments and requires constant care. Due to the weight and size of the wheelchair, it is physically challenging for Amani’s mother, Alicia Rhodes, and other family members to transport Amani in and out of their home.
John Weaver, a fire chief at Capitol Heights Volunteer Fire Department, has volunteered with Christmas in April for 25 years and organized all volunteer efforts for Amani’s home.
John personally selected the residence for assistance through Christmas in April and completed the application process and inspection of the home. He determined that a ramp was the best solution for gaining access to the residence with a wheelchair, but due to property layout limitations, the ramp was not feasible. John worked with Christmas in April, finding a local sponsor to donate an electric wheelchair lift instead. The electric wheelchair lift would normally cost $4,500.
“The wheelchair lift is such a big help,” said Alicia Rhodes. “When she gets home from school, I will now be able to place her on the lift. I was wondering how I was going to be able to do that.”
Christmas in April volunteers utilized donated materials and equipment from national and local sponsors to assist disabled and low-income Prince George’s County homeowners with preserving and revitalizing their homes, ensuring they are able to live independently, safely and comfortably.
This is a great opportunity to help out our neighbors and to see the smiles on their faces once we’ve completed our work,” said John.
Amani’s family members, to include her father, Andrew Rhodes, granddad, Junior Lowman, and uncle, Sean Tyson, assisted Christmas in April volunteers with repairs to the home. The Lowman and Rhodes family along with volunteers painted the walls of the first floor, the front porch, and link fence in front of the home. The secured the front porch repairing loose railings for safety reasons and conducted yard work as well as trash removal. The family was humbled by their community helping their family.
“It’s great! I really appreciate what everyone is doing. I want to give thanks to Capitol Heights Volunteer Fire Department, the community, and especially John Weaver. He is a great person and he got everything set up for us,” said Junior Lowman, owner of the residence for 23 years.
John Weaver along with the rest of the volunteers got their chance to touch the life of a young, gifted child this day in April, but the lasting impression Amani left on the PG county community will not be soon forgotten. The day ended with placing Amani on the wheelchair lift, raising it to the height of the front porch and the community of volunteers discovering how this little girl brought them closer together.
Each year Christmas in April volunteers provide skill trades to rebuild homes in the community assisting preserving and revitalizing low-income and disabled communities.
To date, the Christmas in April organization has repaired 2,253 homes in Prince George’s County with the help of more than 74,700 volunteers. An estimated $38.6 million of donated time and efforts have been performed since the organization began in 1989.
This year, Christmas in April had more than 3,500 individuals volunteered to supply 83 local homeowners, like this home, with new wheelchair ramps and grab bars, appliances, and much needed carpentry, electrical and plumbing work.
Christmas in April is a nonprofit, volunteer organization that has been around for 25 years.
The organization received its name 10 years ago from a recipient stating that the feeling she had toward the volunteers repairing her home felt like Christmas. For further information on how to volunteer or apply for assistance, please go to www.Christmasinaprilpg.org/.
| Date Taken: | 04.27.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 05.29.2013 19:33 |
| Story ID: | 107723 |
| Location: | CAPITOL HEIGHTS, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 73 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Disabled child brings a Prince George’s community together, by TSgt Melissa Chatham, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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