"Wheels for Humanity"
By Peter Corpus

Wheels for Humanity is a 501(c)(3) community-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing increased self-sufficiency and mobility to persons with disabilities throughout the world without regard to political affiliation, religious belief, or ethnic identity. The simple gift of a wheelchair very often opens up new horizons for people with disabilities, including opportunities for educational and economic improvements in their own lives, the lives of their families and in the lives of their communities.

No one can know for certain how many physically challenged people in the world are in need of a wheelchair. Various sources estimate the number to be well over 21 million. These problems are compounded by the fact that the price of the average wheelchair sold in the United States is about $800 and in many developing countries, the average annual income for the head of the household is under $1,000.

It is also estimated that in the United States alone, tens of thousands used wheelchairs per year, no longer useful to former owners for various reasons, are dumped into landfills or sit collecting dust in closets and garages. Wheels for Humanity actively contributes to environmental recycling efforts, since we aim to refurbish and repair these valuable commodities for re-use by the disabled poor in developing countries around the globe.

We are very proud that it costs Wheels for Humanity to collect, refurbish, deliver and fit wheelchairs to the world's poorest of the poor at a cash cost of about $150. And this we cannot do without the help of countless volunteers worldwide, a growing number of loyal donors, a committed Board of Directors, and a small but dedicated staff.

WFH headquarters is a 10,880 square-foot warehouse in North Hollywood, California where the entire repair and cleaning of wheelchairs occurs. Also, since its inception, Wheels for Humanity has subsisted almost entirely on volunteer services. Indeed, over 1,500 people with various skills and abilities have volunteered to help since 1996. Of our locally recruited, oriented and trained volunteers, most have learned to repair, refurbish and clean used wheelchairs and other ambulatory equipment, while some have scrubbed, painted and provided décor for our North Hollywood warehouse headquarters. Still others have volunteered to assist with administrative activities in our general offices or to collect used wheelchairs from throughout the greater Los Angeles area, as well as from all over the state of California. A few have actually accompanied the delivery of wheelchairs to a developing country abroad.

Our Wheels for Humanity distribution team just returned from Hanoi, Vietnam.
(December 24th to January 2, 2002). We personally delivered and fitted 160 wheelchairs. This distribution took place at the Rehabilitation Department of the Bach Mai Hospital - Hanoi. Our delegation of volunteer medical professionals consisted of a (RTS) pediatric rehabilitation seating specialist, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist and a social worker, who also served as a translator. These volunteers all work with California Children's Services - Northern California Area. They all paid their own expenses. We worked and trained the Bach Mai Hospital Vietnamese therapist on seating - positioning - wheelchair mechanics and wheelchair repairs.

This year, we delivered 12 active Quickie chairs to the Hanoi Sports Association. They won two gold medals at the Asian Pacific Para Olympic Games, which took place in Malaysia in 2001. In 2000, we donated six sports chairs to them. Mr. Peter Arballo from Wheelchair Sports traveled with us. He coached and trained the Hanoi Sports Association team in tennis, basketball, shooting, bowling and archery. Peter has been a wheelchair user for 41 years. This shipment of 160 wheelchairs included mostly Sunrise Medical - Quickie / Breezy wheelchairs. 75 of these chairs were brand new returns (Donated from Fresno). Our volunteers in North Hollywood, California refurbished 85 of the 160 wheelchairs.

There are many agencies that we partner with to fulfill this mission.
Our Partners for this shipment are:

a. Sunrise Medical - donated new wheelchairs and parts
b. MK Batteries - donated the Gel Batteries for the power wheelchairs.
c. Universal Aid Society - donated the shipping cost for a 40-foot ocean
container
d. Easter Seals - North Hollywood - cleaning and packing wheelchairs
e. KIK Tire Inc - donated the no flat tires
f. Alshin Tire Inc - donated no flat tires
g. Freedom Design - donated children's seating systems
h. Supracor Inc. - donated Stimulite Cushions
i. Adaptive Equipment Systems - donated harness and seat belts for children's wheelchairs
j. Kid Karts - donated kids' chairs

For 2002, Wheels for Humanity hopes that with God's continued blessings, we will bring almost 5,000 wheelchairs to the disabled poor in 21 developing nations around the globe. We have plans to initiate relationships and to do first-time trips to countries such as Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, India, Laos, Nigeria, Philippines, Thailand, Trinidad, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. We also hope to return to places like China, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Mexico, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Tibet, and Vietnam.

So important to our good work are vital collaborations with NGO partners such as the Lions International Clubs, Rotary International Clubs, Living Water Community, Hope Worldwide, Yayasan Pembinaan Anak Cacat (YPAC), Pengurusan Pusat Yayasan in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Kham Aid in Tibet. Additionally, we appreciate funders that have specific-country interests like the Universal Aid Society for Vietnam, Heartfelt Foundation for Nigeria, and The Oak Foundation for Zimbabwe.

If you are already a part of our Wheels for Humanity family, we send you sincere thanks for your continued support and prayers. If not, please seriously consider making a monetary donation, in-kind donation of wheelchairs and other ambulatory equipment, or volunteering at our North Hollywood refurbishing warehouse. Only with your help, are we able to continue fulfilling our monthly missions of faith, hope, and charity.

Visit www.wheelsforhumanity.org for more information.