The cost of a powered wheelchair is often out of reach for many, especially for the U.S. Veterans who need them to continue living a comfortable life after their service. It can be dismaying when comfort comes at the cost of a six-digit price tag and used chairs are rarely relinquished; even with sources like Veteran Affairs and Medicare, it can still be nearly impossible to source a powered wheelchair.
This problem was one of the kickstarters of a local nonprofit, Veterans Mobility Corp. Founder Frank Smith acknowledged the expensive price tag on the chairs, but also the kindness of an old veteran friend who started the first donation.
“We were just going to do one chair,” said Frank. “I had a veteran friend who died and he wanted us to give his chair to a veteran and when I went over to get it, it was in parts and pieces. We wanted to honor a promise, so it took us a while but we put it together and we did give it to a veteran.”
The veteran who first donated his chair knew how difficult it was to get a powered wheelchair, but what he likely didn’t realize at the time was that his donation would cause such a large aftereffect. Soon after his chair was put back together, the story of the repair and donation to a veteran was reported on the news and a request came in for a similarly powered wheelchair. Since then, over 274 chairs have been donated.
“I’ve done 274 chairs, that’s 274 stories that are all happy,” said Frank. “One of the best ones was an eight-year-old girl whose parents were Navy veterans. She had a rare disease that kept her from walking. We found out her favorite color was pink, so we had a chair painted pink for her.”
Despite the southeastern Idaho roots of the company, some chairs have been delivered further west in Boise and one was even delivered down in Ogden, Utah.
“We had someone borrow a chair once because he only needed it to go to Nashville and back. He’d written a song about the fact that he was dying and his daughter sent the recording to somebody in Nashville and they decided that they wanted to record it professionally. Shortly after he got back, his daughter called us to say he’d passed away and that we could come to collect the chair. It’s a good feeling knowing we’re able to help people.”
All of the chairs that Veterans Mobility Corp. donates are given free of cost to veterans or a spouse or child of a veteran. Some are used chairs that are restored like new and fitted to the needs of whoever will receive it; however, all labor, funds and parts come from donations or grants.
“We are here to help and we don’t charge anything. Whether it’s a veteran or the spouse or child of a veteran and they are in need, we’ll do our best to help them,” said Frank Smith.
Many U.S. Veterans return from service in need of mobility assistance and Veterans Mobility Corp. is ready to help those who protect our country. The work of repairs and deliveries can be difficult, but the joy of recipients makes it all worthwhile for the volunteers. Any donation is welcome, whether it’s parts or funds to purchase new wheelchairs.
For more information about Veterans Mobility Corp., visit www.vvaif.org/chairproject.htm or call 208-541-4809.
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