The Olympic Peninsula Bluebills are looking for Clallam County volunteers to help build wheelchair ramps, install handrails and do other minor construction projects that can help make homes safer for the elderly and disabled.
The Bluebills started out as a group of Boeing retirees who, with their spouses and friends, do volunteer work with local agencies and schools. Their primary goal is to make it possible for senior citizens to stay in their homes for as long as possible.
Not all volunteers have connections with Boeing, said Larry Elton, a Jefferson County Bluebill.
Any volunteer, with or without building skills, is welcome, Elton said.
“If you can hold a hammer, we can use you,” he said.
The organization has struggled to find volunteers in Clallam County, where the group tries to complete one project each week.
The Bluebills serve Jefferson, Kitsap and Clallam counties, but Elton said the distribution of volunteers and projects is uneven.
High demand in Clallam
Most of the Bluebills volunteers are in Jefferson County, while the greatest demand is in Clallam County, Elton said.
Jefferson County volunteers make the long drive to Clallam locations when necessary.
“It would be easier on us if there were more volunteers to help us in Clallam,” Elton said.
Elton said a wheelchair ramp is typically finished in one day, while smaller projects, such as the installation of handrails, take only a few hours.
The Bluebills can provide letters of reference for use in job hunting for volunteers who have worked on projects.
The group has a standard plan for wheelchair ramps that has received a blanket approval from the Clallam County Planning Department, so the permitting process is streamlined, he said.
Materials for Bluebill projects are provided through Olympic Community Action Programs and Catholic Community Services of Western Washington.
Recipients of the projects are identified through the Clallam County Health Department or Catholic Community Services.
For more information on volunteering, phone Elton at 360-437-0758.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.