SC AT/DME Re-Use
Project
Churches and other houses of worship are a
grossly under used resource for all aspects of disability community building -
and especially for distribution and collection of reuse DME and other assistive
technology devices. Yet, frequently, they are often the first point of contact
for calls for assistance - and calls for donation of equipment. This applies to short-term use needs as well
as long term and permanent needs.
Furthermore, this outreach affords an
opportunity to expand our community of people with disabilities (PWD’s). There
likely exists a fairly large population of PWD's rooted in Catholic
communities which are not connected into the broader disability community. This
model affords a way to build bridges to effect empowerment of those who need
it. Additionally, churches are not
mandated to be physically accessible by Federal law. Yet many would want to be who have not taken
steps to be more accessible to their aging members and anyone with a
disability. So from our perspective,
this affords an opportunity to also expand our ramp building and
accessibility outreach. In some cases,
DME recipients need these services as well.
Creating a network of faith based affiliates
opens innumerable doors for us.
Also, exposing this work to faith based
audiences presents opportunities to connect with other civic and charitable organizations;
with common interests. It has long been
a goal of many of us in the disability leadership to create relationships with
the aging population, as many of our issues overlap. South Carolina has a large
number of Senior Citizens. Many churches
already have senior outreach; this affords an opportunity to tap into that
often hard-to-reach population. We are
working with Catholic Charities to
establish a network of collection and distribution points in South Carolina as
described above. We have recruited 100
churches to this end, as well as nurturing existing relationships with
Centers for Independent Living (CIL's) and other disability related groups.
Portlight Strategies, Inc. has developed a
substantial network of faith based affiliates across the state of South
Carolina and is now in a position to fill the DME/AT needs of Palmetto State
citizens.
So...if you have equipment to donate...or know
of people with needs, please contact us and we will connect you with
coordinators in your area.
Also, if you or your church is interested in
participating in our efforts, please let us know.
Our work is coordinated through our Charleston
office...but our reach is statewide.
(843)817-2651
presslord@aol.com
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