First State Bank teams with Labor of Love to meet the needs of Henderson County residents
(Courtesy Photo: Standing on the newly completed ramp are, from left, Jerry Henry, VP Labor of Love, RaeLee, Bunny, Ron and Steve Moore, President First State Bank.)
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Press release
There are always people in need of help to keep their homes a safe place to live. “Labor of Love” is a group of volunteers who donate their time and skills to fix things that are causing unsafe conditions in a home.
Although nothing happens without labor, it also won’t happen without funding. First State Bank has been a donor and partner with Labor of Love for many years. First State Bank not only provides vitally needed donations but also provides leadership through participation on the board of the non-profit.
One example is a project to provide Ron and Bunny Freeman with safe access to their home.
Sometimes things that originally were a great idea turn into dangerous things later, like a set of front porch steps. When Ron and Bunny built their home on a hillside in South Central Henderson County, the steep steps were easy to climb. Bunny is now legally blind and Ron is a survivor of Stage 4 Brain Cancer. Ron now requires a walker to get around safely, the results of the brain surgery. Just the simple act of leaving the house became a very dangerous situation.
Labor of Love came to their aid by removing those steps and replacing them with a very long ramp. The ramp is 48 feet long with a “switchback” in the middle to allow the slope of the ramp to be safe for both Ron and Bunny.
This wouldn’t have been possible without donors like First State Bank.
Steve Moore, President of First State Bank, along with Jerry Henry, VP Labor of Love, met with Ron and Bunny recently to follow-up on how the ramp was helping. They repeatedly remarked how much they appreciate their new found freedom and the efforts of all the volunteers who made it happen. They thanked Steve for the commitment First State Bank has made to the local community they serve.
By the way, there was one more participant who represents the bright future of this area, ReaLee, their Granddaughter who wanted to help the team with the construction.
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