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How to Donate Wheelchairs

by Judy Asman

  • Overview

    New or used manual wheelchairs can cost anywhere from $200 to more than $1,000. This can be a tremendous expense for those who might already have high medical bills---the elderly and the disabled. There are a number of ways you can donate your wheelchair to help those in need.
 

  • Step 1

    Look for wheelchair charities. The Wheelchair Foundation offers a list of nationwide charities. To donate locally, do an Internet search with keywords "wheelchair charities," along with your city and state. You can also call neighborhood churches, senior centers and assisted-living homes to see if they accept wheelchair donations.

  • Step 2

    Read the guidelines. If the charity only accepts manual wheelchairs and you have an electric one, call the organization to see where you can donate your wheelchair.

  • Step 3

    If you don't find a local charity, post a free listing on Craigslist.com or a local equivalent of PennySaver.com or Recycler.com. You can search Craigslist for people who are seeking a wheelchair donation. To do this, click on the "Wanted" link in the "For Sale" section.

  • Step 4

    Repair and refurbish your wheelchair. If the charity to which you're donating does not repair and refurbish wheelchairs before matching them with their recipients, take your wheelchair to a vendor who can do this. Do an Internet search with keywords "wheelchair repair" and your city and state.

  • Step 5

    Deliver or prepare to ship your chair. Find out what days and hours the organization accepts donations. In California, the United Cerebral Palsy Wheels for Humanity organization, which donates wheelchairs to children and adults in developing nations, will drive throughout the state to pick up donations. If you live outside of California but in the western United States, they will send Federal Express to your house to pick up your wheelchair.
  • 2
  • Wheelchair Computer Internet access Transportation Phone Shipping materials
  • Wheelchair
  • Computer
  • Internet access
  • Transportation
  • Phone
  • Shipping materials
  • If you support the mobility-charity cause but do not have a wheelchair to donate, you can get involved as a volunteer or by making cash donations to organizations like Whirlwindwheelchair.org.
  • If you support the mobility-charity cause but do not have a wheelchair to donate, you can get involved as a volunteer or by making cash donations to organizations like Whirlwindwheelchair.org.

References & Resources

     
     
 
 

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