Will be given to those in need
By Maria Prato, Staff Writer
CRANBURY Some local organizations are putting an unlikely spin on a community drive, asking residents to donate used wheelchairs and walkers among other medical equipment to a worthwhile cause.
The First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury, 22 S. Main St., in conjunction with the township’s Human Services Department, will host the drive May 22, between 9 a.m. and noon.
”There are so many people that don’t have the insurance and can’t afford a wheelchair or the walker they need,” said Anne Gordon, a church member and an organizer for the drive.
All the contributions are donated to Your ReSource, a nonprofit human services and environmental organization in Ewing that refurbishes the equipment and sells it at an affordable rate to those in need.
This is the fourth time the church has hosted the drive, which owes its success in the past to the amount of publicity it received, Ms. Gordon said.
”I’m hoping we’ll do well,” she said. “It’s just a matter of spreading the word and people digging around and donating their stuff.”
The items being collected include manual wheelchairs, traveler chairs, seat cushions, standard and rolling walkers, walker basket and pouches, canes, crutches, shower chairs and benches, commodes, tray tables, grab bars, tub clamps, portable ramps, transfer boards, hand and ankle weights, shoe horns, sock aids and reachers.
Organizers are also accepting unopened medical supplies such as gloves, gauze, tape, tubing, specialized supplies, disposable undergarments and bed liners, among other items.
”We’re keeping used medical equipment out of landfills and putting it into the hands of people who can use it,” Ms. Gordon said. “The (recipients) are so grateful and their lives are changed.”
Volunteering for the drive has been worthwhile over the years, as each item that finds its way to the church has a story behind it, Ms. Gordon said said.
”Maybe someone’s wife passed away or someone’s son broke his leg,” she said. “It’s like people are giving a part of themselves, a part of their life and history over to us.”
For questions or more information on the drive, contact Ms. Gordon at 609-409-7885 or Your ReSource members at 609-530-1513.