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Change the lives of people with disabilities worldwide.
The Knights of Columbus has partnered with the global wheelchair mission since 2003 with the goal of providing wheelchairs to all those who lack the freedom of mobility, changing the lives of people with disabilities worldwide. Working with the global wheelchair mission is a perfect opportunity to put your faith into action and involve the entire parish in the rewarding charitable work done by your council. Councils are encouraged to raise funds and make donations to purchase deeply discounted wheelchairs. Through partnerships, councils can also purchase a large container of 110 to 280 wheelchairs at $150 per wheelchair for their own donation sites. A featured program, global wheelchair mission counts for two credits toward the Columbian award. today, this initiative started in the united states has expanded into Canada through partnership with the Canadian wheelchair Foundation. |
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Global Wheelchair Mission
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The Global Wheelchair Mission is an alliance of independent organizations working together to deliver wheelchairs and mobility assistance to people worldwide. Mission Partners are:
Mission The American Wheelchair Mission is a non-profit organization with a goal to deliver brand new, free wheelchairs and mobility aids to physically disabled children, teens and adults throughout the world who are without mobility or the means to acquire a wheelchair. With a strong focus on the needs of the Americas, the American Wheelchair Mission will continue to change the lives of entire families with the gifts of hope, dignity, freedom and independence. Need It is estimated that more than 100 million people throughout the world are in need of a wheelchair but cannot afford one. These people cannot be helped by canes, crutches, walkers or prosthetics. A wheelchair is their only hope for mobility. On average, developing countries around the world have about three percent (3%) of their population physically disabled and unable to afford a wheelchair. In the 60 or so countries with civil unrest, landmine and unexploded ordnance problems the percentage of physically disabled can rise as high as Angola’s twenty percent (20%). Afghanistan, Iraq, Cambodia and Sierra Leone are not far behind. Colombia is the only country in the western hemisphere with landmines actively being planted by anti-government rebels, and has a growing problem. The reasons for physical disability include war, disease, accidents, lack of health care, aging and others. The delivery of wheelchairs to physically disabled people allows children to go to school, adults to go to work and provide for their families and the elderly to get out of a bed they may have stayed in for years at a time. But a wheelchair does not only change the life of the recipient. We estimate an average of ten lives are improved by the delivery of each wheelchair. Families can attend worship services and social gatherings together; people who have crawled on the floor or ridden on a skateboard can now look family in the eye for the first time and feel dignity. The prayers of entire families are answered with the gift of a wheelchair. Process The brand new wheelchairs we deliver would sell for $500 in a medical supply store, but we purchase them by sea containers of 100 to 280 wheelchairs, deliver them directly to the country of destination and can do this for an average of only $150 per wheelchair.
Here is a video shown by Josh Lewis from American Wheelchair Mission at the Summer Leadership Meeting: Washington State Council Knights of Columbus Wheelchair ProgramSupreme Council Resources |
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