Local carpenters help Butte man regain independence

BUTTE -- When Jesse Glover, a single father of three living in the Butte, broke both of his heels in an accident and was confined to a wheelchair, it seemed at first that both he and his children would have to deal with tremendous inconveniences in the simple act of getting around the house.

However, a new organization called Neighbors Helping Neighbors stepped in to help. Using donated materials and time, a team of five carpenters from Carpenter's Local 1281 built a handicapped access ramp for the front of his house, permitting him to move in and out with ease.

The group made contact with Glover through Access Alaska, an organization that helps disabled Alaskans transition back into mainstream life. Local carpenters Craig Steward, Robert Goodman, Eric Wolford, Robert Cross, and Randy Holt worked off-hours and weekends to complete the project, which took roughly 30 man-hours total to complete.

Since all of the carpenters have steady day jobs, they put effort into Glover's project whenever their schedules could accommodate it.

Glover worked on a shipping vessel prior to his accident. While on the job one day, he slipped and fell roughly 20 feet, shattering the bones in both of his heels.

This accident put him in a wheelchair and placed immense strain both on himself and his children, who found day-to-day life more difficult with their father's injury.

"I'm going to be able to walk around and be on my feet again, but I'm supposed to spend 4 to 6 months without putting any weight on my heels," he said. Unable to walk up the stairs to his house, Glover was forced to crawl up on his stomach, a painful ordeal exacerbated by the ice coating his steps during the winter months and the fact that the stairs themselves were broken in several places.

Glover's ramp is the first project taken on by Neighbors Helping Neighbors, which is working in collaboration with Access Alaska to find needy Valley residents.

"We just wait for the call, head on in, and start," said Randy Holt. "I head off to the site and check it out, then come back and say 'I'm going to need X amount of materials to finish the job.'"

Carpenter's Local 1281 includes over 1,000 members, with more than 180 members in the Valley alone.

The purpose of Neighbors Helping Neighbors is to link local carpenters with local Valley residents who are handicapped and in need of special building projects such as ramps, grab bars, and other assisted living needs.

Local 1281, through their Volunteer Organizing Committee (VOC) donates both time and expertise to these projects.

Holt acts as the coordinator for this committee, and is quick to lend a hand with the construction work itself as well. "We donate our time to whoever's in need here in the Valley," said Holt. "We help out anyone who needs us."

The greatest testament to the group's success is provided by the beneficiary himself.

"It works great," said the satisfied Glover of the new addition to his house. "They even fixed my stairs too."

"I had to have nurses coming over all the time just to help me get around," he said. "Now, instead of heading out here and checking on me, I can go out and visit them. Now they can spend time on the people who really need their help."

Contact Daniel Spoth at daniel.spoth@frontiersman.com.