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Service members, volunteers build wheelchair ramp for Apopka veteran

APOPKA, Fla. — Retired Army medic Charles Prescott had been waiting for four years to get a wheelchair ramp on his Apopka home, and thanks to the help of other service members and volunteers, that major need has been met.

“It’s going to be a godsend for lack of a better word,” Prescott said.

Prescott served in the Army for 10 years and was discharged after an injury in 1993.

The needs of veterans from the era of Desert Storm and Desert Shield sometimes may go unnoticed because of the short length of those conflicts compared to others.

He and his wife, Donna, had tried to organize the ramp project themselves, but were making little progress.

Donna applied to Home Depot’s Giving Back program last year.

This week, volunteers like Army Capt. Bobby Withers, who lost his leg in Afghanistan, came to Prescott’s rescue.

“Really makes us feel good to give back. A lot of people have given their time and energy to helping adapt my home, so it’s an opportunity to give back,” said Withers. “And they’re all here to help because they all know what it’s like I need help.”

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