Decades after serving in Vietnam and earning a Purple Heart, a Louisville Marine never imagined that everyday tasks at home would become a battle of their own. A recent fall and surgery left him struggling with basic routines most people don’t think twice about: stepping into the shower, standing long enough to bathe, and even moving safely across the floor. What once felt routine had become an exhausting obstacle course.
Eddie Harrell and his wife, Elaine Harrell, met with Scott Welch, president of Welch Builders in Louisville, to discuss renovating the primary bathroom in their Louisville patio home. But on a limited income, the cost was simply out of reach. Welch, a former U.S. Army paratrooper, felt an unspoken bond with the veteran and was determined to make the renovation happen.
Welch turned to the Building Industry Charitable Foundation, the nonprofit charitable arm of the Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville. The foundation had a history of stepping in where help is needed, from renovating homes for families with special-needs children to restoring apartments at The Healing Place recovery center. With that track record in mind, Welch wondered if the BICF could once again step up, this time for a Vietnam veteran who had already given so much to his country.
“This family had bought a patio home so they could age in place, but the bathroom was limiting their ability to do so,” said Juva Barber, Executive Vice President of the Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville. “Scott came to us and said, ‘I really want to do this bathroom. Can we do it through BICF?’”
Desire to age in place
A cornerstone of the community since 1946, the Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville represents construction professionals and tradespeople in the Louisville, KY area. Members have a keen understanding of the region’s housing needs, including those of older residents who wish to age in place. Founded in 2006, the Building Industry Charitable Foundation supports and builds projects that provide safe and stable housing for those in need.
Scott Welch, Welch Builders
Welch is deeply familiar with that mission. A second-generation builder, he now leads the company his father founded, and his family has long been active in the association—his father even served as its president in the 1990s. “Scott has been a very active member for over 30 years,” Barber said. “He’s a very giving guy who contributes a lot to the community.”
Eddie and his wife Elaine hadn’t set out looking for special treatment. Their request for a quote was almost an afterthought—Welch happened to be in their neighborhood visiting another client when they asked him to stop by. But the moment he saw the toll that surgery and a fall had taken on the veteran’s mobility, Welch knew a standard renovation wasn’t enough. What they truly needed was a safer, more accessible space: wider room to move, sturdy grab bars, a zero-entry shower with a built-in seat, and a detachable shower wand to restore independence.
To make it possible, Welch turned to his vendors and suppliers, asking for donations to keep costs down. AG Glass, Brecher’s Lighting, BDA/Delta Faucets, Floor and Décor, Interiors by G and W, StoneMark Granite LLC, and Sixtos Construction were among those who helped. “He called them and told them the story of Eddie—a Vietnam veteran who had fallen and wanted to stay in his house,” Barber said. “It wasn’t a huge project, but he knew it would have a massive impact on their quality of life.”
Meaningful and lasting impact
That vision soon became reality, thanks to Welch’s determination and the support of the Building Industry Charitable Foundation. “The new bathroom has given the veteran and his wife a space that is safer, more functional, and far more accessible, allowing him to care for himself with greater ease and independence every day,” Welch wrote in a letter of thanks to those who supported the project.
“We feel very blessed and thankful for what Scott did for us,” said Eddie Harrell, as his wife nodded in agreement. “It’s just above and beyond what we ever thought,” he added.
Elaine echoed the sentiment: “We’re blessed and thankful to have had the opportunity to be a part of this.”
Elaine and Eddie Harrell
This bathroom renovation is just one example of how members of the Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville give back to their community—whether they’re building starter homes or custom estates. For builders, shelter isn’t just about structures; it’s about meeting a fundamental human need. And as this project shows, even something as ordinary as a bathroom upgrade can create a ripple effect that changes lives in a profound way.
“They were so incredibly appreciative,” Barber said of the veteran and his wife. “They couldn’t stop talking about how much of a blessing it was. You never think of a bathroom as being a blessing, but it was a visible representation of a big impact on their lives.”
Welch summed it up simply: “We’ve not only improved a home,” he wrote, “we’ve made a meaningful and lasting impact in the lives of two people who have given so much.”
For more information about the Building Industry Charitable Foundation and the causes it supports, or to make a donation, visit BIALouisville.com/BICF.
