Towpath Trail: A True Community During Uncertain Times

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As if the end of March 2020 wasn’t hard enough with the COVID crisis, schools closing, and the economy shutting down, the Crosley family was facing an additional challenge that added much more fear and concern. Fortunately, it was also a time for communities to come together and support each other through tough times.

 

Isaac Crosley was a construction student in Towpath Trail High School East’s workforce development program. He impressed his teacher Scott Billett as “a fine student and a pleasant young man.” Throughout his first semester, Isaac had something very heavy on his mind: his mother Tina would need emergency surgery.

 

This news is scary enough, but new hospital regulations during COVID meant she would have to undergo surgery, recovery, and even rehabilitation alone. She also would not be able to return home without expensive upgrades to make her bathroom accessible, a cost the family simply couldn’t afford. This was a lot for an 18-year-old to have on his shoulders. Isaac reached out to Scott for help and together they tackled the situation with a belief that they could get his mother home as soon as she was medically capable. As Scott put the project together though, it seemed daunting, expensive, and almost unattainable.

 

Scott called on a wide a network of people he had worked with in the past, both professionals and volunteers. “Good relationships last, and they hold meaning,” said Scott. Every person Scott reached out to was eager to help. Together, they installed a wheel chair ramp and completely renovated the bathroom to make the shower, sink, toilet ADA-compliant at no cost to Crosley family.  Issac's mom was able to come home and finish her recovery surrounded by her family.

 

Special thanks to the following people who made Mrs. Crosley’s homecoming possible:

• Eric Beach, Amber Duco and Greg Chaplin with Hasenstab Architects Inc.
• Todd Tober with Tober Building Inc.
• Tim Cozier with Habitat for Humanity
• The Team with Shuman Plumbing
• Al Lesure with Steingass Mechanical
• Brady Rubin with Famous Supply
• John Ballard with The United Way
• Scott Billett with Towpath Trail High School East
• Karen Wachter with Oakmont Education