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ATTLEBORO

When Frank Bryant was recovering in a nursing home following a stroke last October, naturally he wanted to return home as quickly as he could.

But there was a potential roadblock, said Bryant's daughter, Jody Cadieux. The Attleboro home was not outfitted with a wheelchair ramp, an addition that can cost thousands of dollars.

The family scrimped for two months to come up with the money, but faced with the worst recession since World War II, things weren't looking up.

That's when Mike Sumner, a member of the South Attleboro Lions Club and longtime family friend, stepped up. Several South Attleboro Lions, including a couple of licensed contractors, volunteered to build the ramp.

Still, the family would need to supply the building materials.

After asking around, Cadieux said she learned that Home Depot will sometimes donate supplies to help members of the community.

The South Attleboro Home Depot supplied the volunteer crew with half of the lumber for the project.

The men began the project April 17, with Sumner coming over on his own some days to put the finishing touches on the ramp. It was completed in about two weeks, and Bryant returned to his home on May 13.

Cadieux said her father is doing much better with the improved quality of life provided in his home.

Now, she said, he wants to get back behind the wheel of his pickup truck and drive it independently.