A Safe Way In and Out
Help older adults, veterans, and people with disabilities safely enter and leave the homes they love.
Every year, Hearts & Hammers meets homeowners who can no longer safely enter or leave their homes.
Some rely on unstable steps that have begun to crumble. Others need an accessibility ramp after declining mobility. Many simply need a sturdy handrail or safer walkway to continue living independently.
For older adults, veterans, and people living with disabilities, these aren't just home repairs. They are often the difference between remaining safely at home and losing independence.
Unfortunately, these repairs are often out of reach. A professionally designed, code-compliant accessibility ramp can cost thousands of dollars. Public assistance programs frequently have limited funding, and waiting lists can stretch for years. Homeowners living on fixed incomes are often left with unsafe entrances or no practical solution at all.
The Safe Access Initiative was created to fill that gap.
Through this initiative, Hearts & Hammers provides accessibility improvements such as:
- Accessibility ramps
- Safe replacement stairs
- Handrails
- Accessible walkways
- Other exterior accessibility repairs
Our goal is simple: make homes safer before a fall, injury, or loss of independence occurs. Just as Hearts & Hammers repairs homes before deferred maintenance becomes major deterioration, the Safe Access Initiative addresses accessibility challenges before they become life-changing emergencies.
Our first goal is to raise $15,000 to fund the first two approved Safe Access projects.
The first project will build a professionally designed, code-compliant accessibility ramp for a homeowner who now relies on a walker and has spent more than two years waiting for assistance. The second project will replace an unsafe, non-code-compliant ramp that was built by a handyman, giving another homeowner a safe and reliable way to enter and leave their home.
Every dollar helps purchase lumber, concrete, hardware, permits, and other materials needed to complete these critical accessibility repairs. Hearts & Hammers works alongside Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota and other community partners to identify homeowners with critical accessibility needs, then mobilizes volunteers, skilled tradespeople, and local supporters to build safe, code-compliant solutions. Together, we transform donated dollars into projects that help neighbors remain safe, independent, and at home.
Together, we can help more neighbors remain safe, independent, and in the homes they love.