ARLINGTON — Jeanette Fox Bose is only 66, but her health has declined in recent years, which has left her housebound, since her home’s old entryway has become too difficult to traverse.
Enter the Master Builders Association, which teamed with Arlington Hardware & Lumber and volunteers from Bose’s family, friends and neighbors, to tear out the steps leading to her front door, and replace them with a handicapped-accessible ramp. This project was part of the MBA’s annual Rampathon for 21 families throughout Snohomish and King counties May 16.
“It’s been a rough time for her,” said Jason, Bose’s son. “She’s nearly died a few times and has really fallen ill quickly these past few months. She used to be able to get around with a cane okay, but she’s gone downhill since then.”
Phil Cortese has served as Bose’s caregiver for two-and-a-half years, but she’s been living with him the past seven.
“I had to work with the state, and go to the right schools to get certified to do it, but I’d do it if I was getting paid to or not,” Cortese said.
He explained that the ramp would double back on itself to give Bose a less-steep slope.
“That way, she can use a wheelchair or a walker to get in and out of the house,” Cortese said. “Of course, when we pulled everything out, we saw how soft some of the wood had gone, so we have to fix that too.”
McLean Hansen and Brady Prouty were the MBA’s two on-site carpenters, and they noted that they had to repair the house’s gutters, which were letting rainwater drip onto the old deck and erode it even further.
“You never know what you’re going to walk into on one of these builds,” Hansen said. “We found all sorts of things in the first forty-five minutes of digging into the ground, and we got to work with folks we’d never met before.”
Prouty added: “Projects like these draw volunteers of all different backgrounds and skill sets.”
Cortese heard about the Rampathon from a friend at Cascade Valley Hospital, and submitted Bose’s name. He estimated that such a renovation would have cost $3,000 in lumber alone.
“It means a great deal to both of us, just for her to be able to get out and about safely, without worrying about falling,” Cortese said.
