Have a Wheelchair to Donate? Give HOPE Through the Gift of a Wheelchair
There is a huge need for wheelchairs worldwide! 21 million people have access, despite the need for 131 million. Knowing where to donate a wheelchair can help a lot.
Donating a wheelchair can enhance someone’s quality of life by improving their mobility.
We all have things we don’t use anymore. If they are useful it would be a shame to throw them away. However, it might not be obvious where to donate them.
Read on to find out where you can donate manual or electric wheelchairs you no longer need.
How To Donate a Wheelchair
You can donate a wheelchair in various ways, such as those listed below:
- Online
- Donate by dropping it off
- Donate to a religious group
- Veteran or senior citizen organizations
Donate Online
There is nothing one can’t do online, including donating a wheelchair. There are numerous credible places you can choose online that would make good use of your wheelchair.
But you should be careful to choose a credible organization to ensure that the wheelchair serves its intended purpose.
Donating your wheelchair online is fast and efficient. You can choose an organization that may offer to pick up the wheelchair from your residence.
If you don’t have a wheelchair, you can donate money to organizations working to provide people with wheelchairs.
Easterseals is a non-profit health service provider that offers a variety of services for people of all ages including assistive technology.
You can find them here:
Where Can I Donate a Wheelchair Near Me?
You can head to a wheelchair donation directory if you want to find out where to donate a wheelchair near you.
While Block Imaging does not accept donations, they can direct you to local resources that need help:
info.blockimaging.com/bid/92828/wheelchair-donations-finding-a-charity-near-you
You can donate your used mobility equipment to Wheels for the World. Go to their website and enter your zip code to arrange for a pickup or drop-off of your wheelchair:
Drop off the Wheelchair
You can donate your wheelchair by dropping it off at charitable organizations. Non-profit organizations such as:
- The Red Cross
- Direct Relief International
- The Hope Alliance International
These organizations can accept manual or electric wheelchairs and deliver them to those in need. Additionally, some organizations can offer to pick up the wheelchair if you cannot drop it off.
You can still donate a wheelchair if it is not in optimal condition. But you should communicate with the organization before dropping it off to determine if they can fix it. The wheelchair parts are also important, so if the wheelchair is not repairable, the parts can prove helpful in other ways.
Donate a Wheelchair to a Religious Organization or Group
Perhaps the idea has already occurred to you that you can donate your wheelchair to church.
Religious organizations might know someone or people in need of a wheelchair. You can ask religious leaders if they need a wheelchair and if you can make a donation.
Religious organizations such as churches or synagogues often have different periods when they accept donations. If you donate an electric wheelchair, it is also best to present the chair’s manual.
Free Wheelchair Mission is a humanitarian, faith-based non-profit organization that designs and manufactures cost-effective and durable wheelchairs for developing countries worldwide. You can’t donate your own used wheelchair through them, but you can donate money to support their work.
https://www.freewheelchairmission.org/tribute-donations/
Donate to Veteran or Senior Citizen Organizations
You can donate your wheelchair to a veteran or senior citizen organization. Individuals at these organizations are likely to experience mobility issues as they age.
Moreover, not all veterans get wheelchairs in time from the government, even though they are eligible to receive wheelchairs.
Donating a wheelchair to a veteran’s organization is an excellent way of thanking those who fought for this country:
https://www.dvnf.org/support-our-heroes/
Senior citizen organizations do not have all the resources they need.
Thus, a donation of an electric or manual wheelchair can improve the mobility of some of their residents.
Why Donate a Wheelchair
The most basic reason to donate a wheelchair is to help people who need these essential aids.
A wheelchair might seem like an easily accessible tool, but the truth is that wheelchairs are scarce or unaffordable even in developed countries. It explains the growing popularity of rollators as a mobility aid.
It does not matter if the wheelchair has remained unused for some years. As long as the wheelchair is in good condition, you can donate it.
Furthermore, if the wheelchair has suffered extensive wear and tear, it can get repaired by the organization receiving it. This means there is no reason for your wheelchair to keep wasting away in your garage.
Donating a wheelchair makes a considerable difference to the world, even if you don’t get to see it. This is because some charitable organizations ship wheelchairs to other countries where they are most needed.
You can also decide to donate a wheelchair to specific members of the community, such as veterans or senior citizens.
Donate a Wheelchair Today
Donating a wheelchair is one of the ways you can make a difference in the world today. You can’t let a wheelchair remain unused, considering that there are more than 110 million people worldwide in need of that very tool.
Drop off your wheelchair today or contact a charitable organization to pick it up.
