Lowe's, nonprofit help Plymouth senior in wheelchair live independently
PLYMOUTH, Minn. — Most homeowners have a project or two they would like to get to.
A project at one particular Plymouth home is truly life-changing.
Judy Durkee thrives in her Plymouth townhouse, "I have been here 22 years, so as long as I can stay here, it's good, it's perfect for me."
Her needs have changed over the years, and so has her body. She has Multiple Sclerosis. "My toes went numb, then it kind of crawled up my body to like my waist," Durkee said. Through it all, she keep her chin up. "You have to keep going, you always have to keep going, it could always be worse," she said.
Durkee relies on Senior Community Services in Minnetonka, a group who provides handyman services via volunteers. One of those is Brenda Cornell, "Whatever we can do to make it better, fixing, changing a lightbulb, whatever, it's to keep seniors in their homes," she said.
But some challenges are out of their realm like Durkee's range. "You can see over the years pieces are missing off the back of it. [It} took a half hour to heat up a corn dog." She also has a broken dryer, and her front door and ramp are difficult to navigate in her power chair.
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That's where Lowe's comes in. The Plymouth store manager heard about Durkee through her handywoman, and the team gave her a new dryer, range and are repairing her doors and ramps.
"I was very surprised, I was like in shock almost. I was like me? I feel honored that they selected me to get this help," Durkee said.
And now she can continue to happily stay home.
Senior Community Services in Minnetonka is looking for more people to help clients like Cornell.
They are especially in need of volunteers to help out with handyman services and shoveling snow.
If you would like to become a volunteer, visit their website.
