CINCINNATI — For hours there was a ringing heard in the air at WCPO as dozens of volunteers answered the call to help Ramp It Up for Veterans as part of the annual People Working Cooperatively telethon.
The annual event focused on serving veterans directly with all donations that come in creating a sense of independence for the veterans served. PWC President Jock Pitts credits WCPO and the telethon with helping their mission to help veterans in need.
“There were veterans we were saying no to,” he said. “You’re changing that for us with this help.”
The money raised, as the title of the telethon suggests, helps build ramps to improve accessibility for area veterans who have challenges getting in and out of their homes. It’s a critical link between veterans and their family's ability to more easily get to medical appointments.
It’s also an aging group of men and women PWC is serving.
“We still have veterans that go all the way back to World War II and the Korean War,” Pitts said. “Mostly it’s Vietnam veterans and above. Yes, we have some people that desperately need this help.”
The other component of the mission is tied directly to home modifications, bathroom accessibility, hot water tank replacement, furnace repairs and replacement, roof repairs and more. Often critical home repairs the veteran may not be able to cover the cost of otherwise.
“Our veterans have served us and it’s a chance for PWC to find a way to keep them in their home and find a way to serve them to allow them to stay in their home where they desperately want to remain,” Pitts said.
The Veterans Day telethon raised over $44,000 during the live broadcast over four hours. This amount exceeds past years 2022 ($23,623) and 2023 ($38,776). PWC will continue to take in donations tied to the Ramp It Up telethon through Friday, Nov. 15.
“Last year we served 816 people with the funds we received and that’s a terrific number of veterans and their families supported,” Pitts said.
Pitts expects the number of veterans helped this year will be potentially higher as the Farmer Family Foundation is matching all donations which takes the total to over $88,000, with still more donations coming in.
Anyone wishing to get their donation in to qualify for the match can visit pwchomerepairs.org.
If you have a veteran story to tell in your community, email homefront@wcpo.com. You also can join the Homefront Facebook group, follow Craig McKee on Facebook and find more Homefront stories here.
