No one could ever say that Cleveland and Corine JohnBaptist didn’t deserve our help. The elderly couple has lived in Crowley their entire lives, over 60 years for each, and before they retired they both worked for A.S.S.I.S.T. Agency, a Community Action non-profit that provides services for improving the lot of families living in poverty.
Cleveland and Corine outside their front door, in Crowley, LA
Between the two of them, the couple spent over four decades working in service to their low-income neighbors. Cleveland managed funds for an emergency voucher program, which offered one-time assistance to people confronted with unexpected financial troubles. The program was and continues to be funded by a grant from the State, and for years Cleveland navigated the complex system of checks and balances that made sure the money went to the people who would benefit from it the most.
Corine worked as coordinator for the organization’s homeless shelter, providing housing and counseling services to women and children. People came to her with no work, no food, and no place to stay, and often needed medical care and counseling in addition to a roof over their head. She looked after these women, and saw to it that they were not only comfortable at the shelter, but had the support and motivation to transition out of it as well. She tells us she still hears from clients she helped over a decade ago, and that her very first client now has a steady job and recently bought her first house. She says she wasn’t able to help everyone, but that she has many success stories. Both Cleveland and Corine are proud of the work they did with A.S.S.I.S.T., and they believe the goodwill they earned over the years has now come back to them to help them through their own challenges.
The year after Cleavland retired, he lost a leg to diabetes. Five years later, he lost the second, and it was the same year that Corine retired. Things were hard for a while after that. Their friends and coworkers built an access ramp for their home in Crowley, so that Cleavland could get in and out, but it was too steep. It took both husband and wife to push Cleveland up and down the entrance to their home.
For a wheelchair ramp to have too steep a grade is a fairly common problem that we see. Many homeowners that we serve can’t afford to pay a professional contractor to build one, because such a project can cost several thousand dollars. When RTA volunteers came out earlier this month and built an ADA compliant ramp free of cost, it was a huge relief for both of them. Now, Cleveland moves up and down the sturdy ramp with relative ease and independence. His wife no longer has to be with him whenever he goes anywhere.
The final product at their home in Crowley. The area of dirt in front of the door, shows the position and the full extent of the old ramp.
In our follow-up call, we found the project has had other, unexpected benefits as well. While the old ramp simply dropped down from their doorstep, the new one leaves from of a 5×5 foot landing in front of their door, which doubles as a small front porch. Corine tells us that they have been spending more and more time outside as a result, sitting on their “porch” and enjoying the nice weather and their quiet neighborhood. They both knew that with our service their house would be more accessible, but they were amazed to find that they enjoy it more as well.
I worked with “Cleve” and Corine at ASSIST for several years. I don’t know of any couple that deserved this help more than the two of them. Thank you Rebuilding Together Acadiana for this wonderful hand of friendship that you extended out to them. You are truly a blessing to two people who have been a blessing.