LAWRENCE COUNTY Access program helps the disabled

The program is intended to help 45 to 55 households.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- As 8-year-old Anthony Preisner grew older, getting in and out of his home became more difficult.
His mother, Regina Sagnilli, and her two teenage daughters would have to carry Anthony up and down the front steps because his cerebral palsy and severe epilepsy required that he use a wheelchair or a brace to move.
But now, thanks to a new program in Lawrence County, he can easily get in and out of his east side home.
Help received
Access Lawrence County, a program administered by Lawrence County Social Services, built a wooden ramp onto Anthony's home and installed a hand-held shower system for him to use. His mother explained that Anthony is scheduled to undergo several surgeries, which require casts that cannot get wet, and the shower modifications were needed.
"I'm real pleased about this program because I'm not one of those moms sitting around on welfare eating bonbons. It's nice there is something to help people who help themselves," said Sagnilli, who works full time as a medical secretary.
The program is intended to help the permanently and temporarily disabled who meet income guidelines, which vary depending on family size, said Ron Bequeath, administrator of the program through Lawrence County Social Services. As an example, a family of five earning $49,773 annually would be eligible for the program, he said.
Each family can receive up to $8,000 in modifications from the program, which is funded through a $250,000 state grant.
More grants
Lawrence County officials have added some additional aspects to the program with a $20,000 grant from the Almira Foundation, which pays for temporary ramps for those needing them for only a short time. Also money is being contributed from Lawrence County's Affordable Housing Trust, which is funded by half of the $2 fee people pay when recording deeds at the county courthouse.
The program came about in part because Lawrence County Commissioner Brian Burick became aware that certain segments of the disabled population weren't getting help at home.
Burick said he asked Lawrence County Social Services to look for money to pay for home modifications for those who fall through the cracks of existing programs. There were programs with limited funds to pay for modifications for job-seeking, disabled adults and the elderly, but nothing for others, he said.
They eventually found the Pennsylvania Access Program, something that started about four years ago to help the disabled, with a special emphasis on children. The program allows for home modifications that help people stay out of institutions.
"Evidently people at the state level were getting complaints too. There were gaps. This program opens the possibility of helping a wider array of people," Burick said.
So far, 11 households in Lawrence County have received help, and program administrators hope to reach 45 to 55 homes before the grant ends next spring.
Some of the work
The work has included ramps and grab bars for children in wheelchairs, air conditioning for a child with congestive heart failure and protective screening on a porch and windows for a family with an autistic child who could not previously play outside.
"It's great to see the change in people's lives. A little bit can help. When you see some of these kids, you want to cry," Bequeath said.
Bequeath said about 20 families are now waiting for services and they are adding more every day. Social workers often go to the homes to fill out applications because most who need it cannot leave their homes, he added.
An apprentice and journeyman from Carpenters Local Union 268 have been hired to build the ramps, he said.
One snag in the program has been that not all of the work necessary is covered by the grant, Bequeath said. The money cannot be used for such things as preparing an area or digging sidewalks.
But local churches, Lawrence County Habitat for Humanity, schools and others have donated time and services, he said.
Neighbors to the rescue
For Sagnilli, 8-year-old Anthony's mother, help came from neighbors Brian Smith and Rick Suders, who spent three days digging a new sidewalk from the ramp to her driveway.
The program is open only to Lawrence County residents who fall under the income guidelines and own or lease their homes, Bequeath said.
"It's filling in the cracks," Bequeath said. "The only problem is we still have a few cracks that we have to fill. Our list is getting bigger."
He said they plan to apply for additional funding next year to help others.