Neavitt Contractor, Volunteers Committee Replace Rotten Deck in Time for Christmas

Pat Ellison stands on the renovated deck of her Wittman home. “They did a wonderful job,” she said.

Christmas came early this year for Pat Ellison of Wittman.  Through the assistance of Bay Hundred Community Volunteers and the generosity of Neavitt contractor Eric Rubin and his carpentry crew, Ellison has a new deck.  It replaces the rotting deck that has booby-trapped her over the last couple of years.

“I had bits of plywood scattered all over the place,” said Ellison.  “Every time I found a piece of plywood I would put it down on a rotten place.  I’d already gone through the deck in one place. I’m 85 and on social security.  I couldn’t afford a new deck. I used to be able to handle everything by myself, but after two major surgeries this year, and balance issues, I just can’t anymore.”

Bill Shrieves, president of Bay Hundred Volunteers, visited Ellison and found a deck rotted out and full of holes. “The steps were rotted as well and had no handrail. This was an unsafe situation. Eric Rubin came to the rescue. He volunteered his crew at no cost to complete the project. In just three days they replaced the old deck boards and built a new set of steps with handrails.”

Ellison has lived in her Wittman home for 40 years. “I used to be able to sit on my deck in the morning, drink my tea, read my paper and enjoy my fish pond.  Now I’ll be able to do that again.”

Shrieves said Rubin’s crew also recently completed a second project for the Volunteers committee, replacing a set of steps for a neighbor in Cordova.

Bay Hundred Community Volunteers is best known for the dozens of ramp projects and minor home repairs it completes each year throughout Talbot County.  Volunteers build the ramps and pick up hammers, nails, and saws to complete other projects.

They restore accessibility for elderly and ill individuals who couldn’t otherwise get in and out of their homes without great difficulty and assistance. Donations from individuals, churches, and other philanthropic organizations provide the funding to purchase the ramp materials.

More information about Bay Hundred Community Volunteers is available at bhvc.org or by calling 410-745-9243.