I continue to feel lucky to meet people, businesses and nonprofits in our Valley who bring vision, skills and most importantly, heart and soul. Recently, I overheard Ann Young talking about Damians Ladder. Well, you know me. I couldn’t resist butting in.
“Damians Ladder? What do you do for our seniors?” I asked. I had to know more.
Let’s face it. With today’s sky-high prices, repairing just about anything can dent our wallets. Now, imagine being older, living on a fixed income, and facing a broken entry step, a missing grab bar, or stairs that are no longer safe. What looks like a small repair can determine whether someone can remain safely in the home they love.
A Small Fix Can Change Everything
Damians Ladder of Scotts Valley is a nonprofit that provides small home repairs and safety modifications for Santa Cruz County residents age 55 and older, at low or no cost. And here’s what surprised me: there is no income test. Seniors don’t even have to own their homes, although renters need landlord permission for certain modifications.
Ann shared the story of an 86-year-old husband and his 78-year-old wife, who has used a wheelchair for decades. Getting her in and out of their home meant navigating unsafe steps. To make room for a wheelchair lift, they had to move the stairs. Damians Ladder volunteers took on that difficult stair project, making safer access possible. Imagine the relief for that couple!
Nearly 1,000 repairs—and Counting
The numbers tell their story. From the start of service in December 2023 through Sept. 30, 2026, Damians Ladder received 1,047 requests from 597 seniors and completed 986 repairs. That’s approximately 94%. Monthly requests have climbed from about 25 in 2025 to 40 this year. Clearly, the need is not slowing down.
Services range from installing grab bars and handrails to repairing doors, steps, faucets, light fixtures and other smaller household problems. It isn’t major remodeling. It’s practical help that can prevent a small problem from becoming a much bigger one.
A Scientist with a Different Kind of Mission
I was equally fascinated by Ann Bennett Young, executive director and one of the four founders. A molecular biologist, biochemist and scientific educator, Ann spent 30 years in biotechnology. Successful? Absolutely. Fulfilled? Not quite. She told me that helping bring pharmaceuticals to market never touched her heart the way she hoped.
While serving on the Highlands Park Senior and Community Center board, Ann started conversations about unmet needs among older residents. A small-home repair program struck a chord. With $1,000 in seed funding from Scotts Valley Senior Life Association, four founders incorporated Damians Ladder in July 2023. Their first volunteer began taking on cases that December.
Today, Ann combines a scientist’s organizational discipline with a very human purpose. The nonprofit uses an automated system that lets volunteers view repair requests on their phones and select jobs suited to their skills. Behind the scenes is an active working board, not one that shows up for meetings.
It Takes a Valley to Raise a Ladder
A community effort like this doesn’t happen without partners. Home Depot, ProBuild, Scarborough Lumber, Big Creek Lumber and local ACE hardware stores have established purchasing accounts that let volunteers obtain materials without paying out of pocket.
Financial supporters include Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, which Ann says, “…provided approximately $40,000 this year, and the City of Scotts Valley, which awarded $7,000 last year. Omega Nu Santa Cruz and St. John’s Helpful Shop contribute funding for the organization’s hardware. The Moose Lodge 545 has hosted fundraising events that have generated over $35,000 in donations.”
Anyone who can afford materials or make a donation is encouraged to do so, helping cover costs for neighbors who cannot. One client sent an $8 check, all she could spare, and wrote that she hadn’t realized people could care about her so much. Ann’s response stayed with me: “It’s about repairing the heart of people. It’s about making them feel like they matter.”
Ann puts the value of prevention into perspective, “It’ll cost us $150 to repair a broken stair or a broken entry step to a home. It could cost $30,000 for a client to get a hip replacement as a result of a fall. A small repair today can help prevent a much bigger problem tomorrow.”
Got Skills? Here’s Your Invitation
The greatest need now is volunteers. Damians Ladder welcomes people skilled in carpentry, plumbing, electrical work and HVAC, as well as those who can help with administrative tasks. Field volunteers undergo California and national criminal background checks. The organization is also seeking finance-minded working board members.
Damians Ladder is participating in Santa Cruz Gives, another opportunity to help keep this work going. If you have skills, the time or simply the heart to help, contact Ann and her team at damiansladder.org or 831-200-1376. Their office is at 5321 Scotts Valley Drive, Suite #102, Scotts Valley, CA 95066.
This is literally a one-step-at-a-time kind of program “…because sometimes the difference between staying home and leaving it begins with one repaired step at a time,” Ann mentioned.
Janet Janssen lives in Felton and participates with local Chambers of Commerce: SLV, SV and Santa Cruz. She is on the board of Leadership Santa Cruz County and provides speaking and communication training for local businesses and nonprofits; ja***@**********en.com.
