Volunteers build ramps, help 27 residents across Bamberg and Barnwell counties

Suzie Scott waited 13 years for a ramp to her Jaywood Road home in Williston, and when Couchton Baptist Church volunteers finally built it, the 80-year-old homeowner said the wait had been worth it. The ramp did more than replace steps. It gave Scott a safer way in and out of her house, and a path to stay independent without asking for help every time she left home.

Scott’s ramp was part of Southeastern Housing and Community Development’s third annual Ramp Day, held Saturday, April 18, 2026, and expanded this year beyond Barnwell County into Bamberg County. By the end of the day, crews had served 27 residents across the two counties, building wheelchair ramps and completing other critical repairs for older adults and residents with disabilities.

The work drew volunteers from churches, civic groups, businesses and youth teams. Frank Troglauer led the Couchton Baptist Church crew on Scott’s project, while younger volunteers like 12-year-old Cad Hartley pitched in alongside adults. Scott called the young helpers “a blessing from the Lord” and said simply, “I’ve been trying so long.” Hartley said his father told him about the effort and that he wanted to do “the Lord’s work.” Elizabeth Buxton said the goal was straightforward: “We saw a need, and we’re filling a need.”

Southeastern Housing and Community Development says its mission is to build sustainable communities by stimulating economic development, creating affordable housing opportunities and helping families become self-sufficient. Its home-repair program says critical repairs can be covered up to $30,000, while more extensive repairs can go up to $75,000, with grant or forgivable-loan options depending on the project.

The scale of the 2026 effort suggests the need remains widespread. In 2025, the Southeastern Ramp Project brought about 150 volunteers together to build 18 wheelchair ramps across Barnwell County in a single day. Another local ministry, the Brotherhood Ramp Ministry, already works through the Barnwell-Bamberg Baptist Association, showing that mobility access has long been a concern in the region’s faith and nonprofit network.

Southeastern also lists Ramp Days 2026 for Barnwell and Bamberg counties on April 18 and for Aiken County on May 30. For residents who cannot manage steps, a ramp can mean getting to the porch, the car or a medical appointment without waiting for someone else to lift, carry or steady them, and in rural Bamberg and Barnwell counties that difference is still being measured one home at a time.