Where To Donate a Wheelchair?

[Cowboys_Place]

Does anybody know of any organizations that I can donate an electric chair I have to?
It' an ARROW that is probably four or five years old and I only used 1/2 dozen times. It tilts and is in great shape other than the batteries haven't been charged for quite a while. If I had to guess it's probably worth six or $7000 but that's just a guess and I don't want to go through the hassle of selling it so I thought a good charity that helps people in need could use it...
Any ideas?

[HeathQuad]

When I had an extra wheelchair to do something with I've donated it to one of the service animal agencies that is using it to help train their service animals to a power chair. According to the director it really help the service animals when they knew they were going to be used around one. That's a good place to look or ask around at the rehabs or hospitals. There's just about always someone with no insurance that could probably use it that it could be donated to.

[SCI-Nurse]

Another option is to offer to donate it to a local rehab center but with the condition that it only be provided to a patient who 1) really needs it and 2) has been denied coverage for such a chair by their insurance company. Call the social work or case management office to inquire about their interest.

(KLD)

[I Care]

http://www.lifenets.org/wheelchair/

[addiesue]

I donated my stuff to the cerebral palsy foundation. They have an equipment exchange program. I got a good shower chair from there also.

[LaMemChose]

You might also check with Goodwill. The one in my city has a medical equipment program and offers chairs, walkers, canes, crutches, shower benches to uninsured individuals and those who've been denied what is medically needed.

WTG AddieSue on donating to UCP. For obvious reasons, that org is one that is close to my heart.

[addiesue]

UCP is awesome. They are helping me fix the ramp at the place I just moved. They also do a matching program for home improvements. Will make it so much easier to fix my bathoom when I get around to it.

[LaMemChose]

Originally Posted by addiesue

UCP is awesome. They are helping me fix the ramp at the place I just moved. They also do a matching program for home improvements. Will make it so much easier to fix my bathoom when I get around to it.

Yes, they provide ramps at no cost to those of us with cerebral palsy. I'm glad they do it for others, too. Yay UCP!

I know of one woman here at CC who benefitted from a UCP program in getting her own FES bike and she's SCI, not c.p.. They provided partial funding for it. I think it was a match program like you're talking about.

I like that UCP is branching out to support persons of a variety of disabilities. Some within the cp community have complained about it, but I don't have a problem with it.

I especially don't have a problem with it as I am aware of a number within my small reference of others with c.p. who have also had SCIs. I'm talking Ben Rolfe, Abu and me here at CC and I know of two others more recently elsewhere. What's up with that, right?

Anyway, I'm glad they're helping you C. I'm glad they can help with the bathroom, too. That's great.

Did not mean to derail Cowboy. I hope you find just the right home for the chair.

[Mona~on~wheels]

WHEELCHAIR OUTREACH Wheels for the World

(Joni Eareckson Tada ) She paints with her mouth. Ski'd of side of a mountain top.

Wheels for the World, Joni and Friends' flagship wheelchair outreach program, informs you on how to donate a wheelchair, crutches, canes, walkers or other rehabilitation equipment through a volunteer organization called Chair Corps. WFTW wheelchair restoration shop requirements are described along with a list of private correctional centers, state prisons and Federal prisons and penitentiaries who partner with Joni and Friends. International Mission Outreaches describes how to apply, what to expect and lists upcoming mission outreaches. Wheelchair distribution advises on the three ways wheelchairs are dispensed to disabled individuals living abroad.

http://www.joniandfriends.org/pg_wheelchair.php

[jessie.gray]

Originally Posted by LaMemChose

You might also check with Goodwill. The one in my city has a medical equipment program and offers chairs, walkers, canes, crutches, shower benches to uninsured individuals and those who've been denied what is medically needed.

WTG AddieSue on donating to UCP. For obvious reasons, that org is one that is close to my heart.

2 other places that accept used medical equipment to give to people without insurance are the Salvation Army and the VFW. I donated a comode that I rarely used, a wheelchair cushion that was too small, and my old shower chair to the Salvation Army recently, and within a week, they told me that all 3 items went to a good home.

There's also a place in WA called Bridge Ministries, that accepts used wheelchairs (power and manual) and they clean (and fix if needed) the chair up to donate to people who seriously need them. When I had to start using a wheelchair part time in 2000, I got a E&J Traveler chair from them for free. I had that chair for about 4 years before my family bought a Quickie LXI and a Quickie Revolution chairs (we needed 2 chairs at the time; one for everyday and one for camping).
I ended up donating the E&J chair back to them, along with the Jay cushion it came with. They also accept other medical supplies for donation (canes, crutches, walkers, scooters, shower chairs, comodes, trasnfer benches, cushions and backs, wheelchair accessories, and electric beds).

Jessie