Langley Pos-Abilities Society, the charity that provides electric scooters and walkers to people with disabilities, is about to run out of donated equipment, president Robert Leroux said.
Leroux said Pos-Abilities was down to just one scooter and one walker.
“I have five requests on my desk [for a scooter],” Leroux said.
“I have to make a hard call and there are going to be four people on a wait list.”
As far as he knows, it’s the first time Pos-Abilities has had to open a waiting list in the nine years it has been collecting scooters and walkers for distribution to people in need.
Normally, there is a cushion, with as many as four scooters and six walkers in storage.
He thinks increased awareness of Pos-Abilities has been a factor.
“People are finding us,” he said.
That’s good. [But] we got hit with a lot of requests in the past two weeks,” Leroux explained.
Scooters and walkers and other mobility aids usually end up at Pos-Abilities because the person who used them has passed away, Leroux noted.
Rather than leave them gathering dust, Leroux said, families are encouraged to donate to Pos-Abilities, who will put them to use.
“We have a storage facility,” Leroux said.
“We can take them in and we can refurbish them.”
Donated mobility aids are given to people in need, with one condition —to please donate them back if they are no longer needed.
That’s what happened with the one scooter that Pos-Abilities currently has, Leroux observed.
After it was donated, it was provided to a person who passed away about a month after receiving it, and the family then gave it back to Pos-Abilities for other people to use.
They are also looking for shower equipment and other medical devices including a hospital bed.
“We do have a driver who can pick it up,” Leroux said.
He’s hoping they can locate a specific type of walker, one with a 16-inch high seat
He’ss asking people who have a scooter or walker or other mobility aid to get in touch.
They can phone 604-761-4050 or visit the website at https://pos-abilities.org.
READ MORE: Langley Pos-Abilities is challenging people to try on a disability
Langley Pos-Abilities Society is planning to have its first ever online silent auction.
Individuals or businesses interested in donating to the auction are asked to contact executive director Zosia Ettenberg at zosia@pos-abilities.org.
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Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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