A St. Augustine nonprofit needs volunteers to build wheelchair ramps for homebound residents across St. Johns County.

The St. Johns Housing Partnership received more than 10 ramp requests in two weeks from neighbors whose lives changed after a stroke, accident or other health event, according to a post in the Life in SJC Facebook group. The organization is urgently seeking donors and volunteers to meet the demand, as first reported by the Ponte Vedra Recorder.

The ramps serve homeowners who are older, have disabilities or are veterans and cannot safely enter or leave their homes.

Volunteers can nearly halve the cost of a ramp

A permitted, code-compliant ramp costs nearly $4,500 when built with paid staff, the Facebook post said. Volunteers can cut that to less than $2,500 for the same result.

The partnership, which relies entirely on grants, government funding and donations, completed 25 ramp builds and repairs in 2025, according to its annual report. The organization served 230 homes countywide that year, including 127 heating and air-conditioning repairs, 73 plumbing jobs, 59 electrical fixes and 22 roof repairs. Bill Lazar is the partnership's executive director.

Students and Rotarians have built ramps before

The partnership has a track record of rallying local groups for ramp projects. Members of the Creekside High School Engineering Club, who regularly volunteer with the partnership, joined the Bartram Trail Rotary Club and Builders Care to build a ramp for a veteran with a disability in northwest St. Johns County. Kevin Davenport, the teacher who leads the club, said the projects give his students real-world experience beyond the classroom.

"Everyone pulled together to make this happen," Jose Gavarrette, then-president of the Bartram Trail Rotary Club, said after that build. "Giving back to the community is a big part of what we do in Rotary."

Residents who want to help can donate at apps.sjhp.org/donate-now or call 904-824-0902. Those interested in volunteering can email [email protected].

Volunteer day set for Oct. 24

The partnership's annual Make a Difference Day volunteer event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24, according to the partnership's website. Last year's event drew 96 volunteers across St. Johns County for house painting, repairs, landscaping and ramp building.