The Brenneman family first moved into its current home six years ago, previously living in a rowhome Lancaster city. The upstairs rooms of the former home were increasingly difficult to navigate for son Miles, who is 11 years old and has cerebral palsy. "Even getting a handicapped parking space was difficult there," said Danielle, Miles' mother. "As he was getting bigger, we realized we needed something more accessible for him." The Brennemans relocated outside of the city to their current home in the Lampeter-Strasburg School District, which proved much more manageable than the previous house, but still presented challenges.

Miles' father, David, works for B&B's Custom Trim and recently began asking around to see if any construction companies would consider completing a project to help them make the house more accessible. After speaking with one of his site managers, David was put in touch with one of the owners of EGStoltzfus, a company specializing in home remodeling and commercial construction. Each year, EGStoltzfus completes a volunteer project in the community to maintain emphasis on its values, and the business was presented with the 2022 Ethics in Business award from the Samaritan Counseling Center of Lancaster. The company promptly began working on the Brennemans' house in June of this year.

"They came in a month or two before construction started and asked us, 'What is your basic need, and what is your dream project?'" Danielle said. "I told them the bare minimum was that we needed a bigger bathroom to be able to bathe him, and best-case scenario we would have an additional wing in the house for him." EGStoltzfus drew up a design, and the project was underway to add a new wing to the house.

The addition is projected to be finished by the end of August and will include an entirely new bathroom, a large bedroom for Miles, an expanded laundry room and a carport. A new room is also being added for Miles' younger siblings, Levi, Isaac and Asher. "It's crazy how many people are committing time, donating and working on the project," Danielle said. "We have friends that offered to complete the HVAC and electrical work in the wing, and the amount of people that don't even know us that have helped out is incredible." The Brenneman family has held several fundraisers for various projects in the past, including a music festival at Binns Park several years ago, where carnival games, giveaways and face painting were offered. The family received a great deal of support from the community, which was used to purchase a handicapped-accessible van.

For more information on the family, visit Danielle's YouTube channel, "Dani's Days," where she provides insight on special needs parenting, offers gardening tips and shares her unique perspective. "I'm an open book," Danielle said. "You can ask me whatever."