The Medical Loan Closet should have had a revolving door this summer. We have even made “house calls” to pick up some badly needed equipment. The committee has stream lined its efforts by having each committee member take a week of “call” to field questions and sign in/out equipment. We have assisted approximately 175 people with durable medical equipment(wheelchairs, bath benches, canes, commodes etc) in the last 10 months. Our closet has been mighty bare the past few weeks.

Our brochures have been widely disseminated and more people are calling for medical equipment. Our sign out procedures have required some revision. We now state that the medical equipment is on temporary loan for no more than three months. This is a necessary change since there have been a number of people that expect to keep the supplies indefinitely.

We are looking for one or preferably two more Soroptimist to help with the Medical Loan Closet activities. It provides a wonderful opportunity to help our community and they are so very grateful for this valued service project.. I would like to provide a brief orientation prior to my two month departure for Europe. Please call me at 681-7488 or Email cblaze@prodigy.net.

We even had a work party a few years ago to pack and wrap food; we all had a great time knowing that we were extending ourselves to help prevent hunger.

We have had several pieces of medical equipment that needed to find a better home. There were: walkers that didn’t fold so very few people wanted them; wooden crutches that are not as desired as the aluminum ones; four prong canes without tips and they were such an old model, I couldn’t even order replacements. One dear gentleman had made a chair on wheels for his invalid wife. Now, it will be a cherished possession for someone else and provide some independence.

Shortly after I arranged to meet Louella at the Medical Loan Closet, I received a telephone call from a Soroptimist(Dolores Mangano) in Port Angeles. Her husband passed away and she had two artificial legs that she wanted to donate.

I picked them up that very day to include with the shipment. Louella said they would probably go to Sierra Leone Africa and most of the medical equipment will be shipped to the Dominican Republic.

I spent a few hours rearranging medical equipment and house cleaning. It was such a good feeling to know that our equipment would be a new lease on life for many of the recipients.

Linda Oen started tagging excess equipment a few years ago and I know she will be delighted to know that our dream to overcome the logistics of getting that equipment to those in desperate need has been realized.

I hope we will get a few pictures of the equipment being delivered and utilized.

Colleen Blazier, Health Committee Coordinator