INTHEVUE.COM | JULY 2026 85 Phil Franklin’s son, Brian, reached out to Joe with the need, as Phil was going to be starting dialysis soon, and thus transitioning into a wheelchair. A move that, without a ramp, would have made it impossible for him and his wife, Martie, to make the three times a week dialysis visit, as the living space of their home is on the second level - almost 8 feet above the landing spot of the driveway. Brian’s initial description of the scope of the project and its rightful specs took Joe aback as he logically thought it through – finances they would need, the heavy equipment to be transported, and his team. He kindly let Brian know that they couldn’t tackle a project like that. Brian respectfully understood the circumstances at hand, and kindly thanked Joe for his time. “So, we let it go at that,” Joe recalls of the exchange. Until Joe heard from Brian again. “Joe, I’m not bugging you about building us the ramp,” Brian said. “But do you have any ideas? We’re desperate. Dad’s going to start dialysis, their living quarters are on the second floor. Do you know of anybody that can do an elevator?” The ministry had helped install elevators before, but the scope of the sizes of those that they had helped with was not going to suffice for what the Franklins would need. Brian continued to kindly press, let Joe know that they would provide all materials for the ramp, and asked him if he went to look at it. Joe indeed had but hadn’t measured it quite yet. It was what he expected – just something he didn’t feel they could fiscally or logistically do. “Well, if you come up with any ideas, that would help us. I would really appreciate it,” Brian requested again. Joe knew he needed to meet Brian in his request and measure the location at play; and when he did so, he thought of his team. “I ran it by the guys. I wasn’t going to say, ‘Hey guys, we’re going to build this ramp.’ I was considering the circumstances,” Joe recalls. And in the midst of his ramp research, Joe learned of Phil’s background with St. Jude and how Phil headed up the first eleven St. Jude homes in Western Kentucky – donating myriads of his time to that ministry for more than a decade. He took note of that to share as he presented the ramp request to his team to gauge their receptiveness. In light of the group’s comradery, Joe wanted the decision to take the ramp build to be a group decision. Joe recalls that he let his team group know that he was not going to be the one to make the decision - they were going to do it. “And everybody said, ‘Yeah, let’s try it! It sounds challenging,’” Joe remembers of the exchange. Joe matched his team’s willingness and called Brian back to give him the news that they would be building his dad’s ramp. “We’ll not only buy the materials,” Brian responded gratefully. “But we’ll make an extra donation.” A $3,000 check that covered the materials for the build, along with an additional donation, all came from the Franklins’ children. Phil and Martie didn’t have to do a thing. So, with ministry ramp work caught up at that moment and a clear waitlist, Joe and the men went to pre-build some ramp sections a week before to set themselves up for an efficient workday day-of. “I told everybody before we started that I thought maybe we could do it in five hours, and I don’t think I believed myself. But sure enough, we did!” Joe says of the “massive ramp” build. And while that build came to a successful finish, the ministry still faithfully carries on with their builds of one ramp per week in almost every circumstance (occasionally two), almost never missing a week – even in winter. So, next time one wonders what you get when you take one phone call, a group of seasoned carpenters, and a communal desire to help others – know that you will receive a thriving ministry, 1,200+ recipients of mobility assistance, and a beautiful representation of Jesus’ command in Matthew 22:39 to, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
