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Masonic Village Donates Wheelchairs to Children in Ecuador
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The Masonic Village at Elizabethtown donated 25 wheelchairs, eight walkers and a large bin of wheelchair parts to assist children and adults with disabilities in Ecuador.
The wheelchairs were given to Lancaster resident Marlin Groff, who will store them in his warehouse. Once a total of 200 are gathered from individuals and organizations in the area, the batch will be shipped to Hope Haven International in Iowa, which will make any necessary repairs or adjustments to the chairs. They will then be delivered to Ecuador, where Elizabethtown resident, Sara Risser, a 40-year missionary in the city of Quito, will distribute the wheelchairs to local hospitals and clinics.
Masonic Village had the wheelchairs and walkers in storage since they were replaced with newer models, according to John Marsh, director of purchasing and materials management. Instead of remaining unused in storage or being discarded, they will serve the global community.
According to Hope Haven International, Ecuador is in need of 70,000 wheelchairs, of which 30 percent are needed for children with cerebral palsy. Donated wheelchairs may be adjusted to serve as special pediatric chairs.
Any individual or organization with used wheelchairs, walkers, power chairs or accessories, who would like to donate them, may contact Marlin Groff at 392-8674, his cell at 475-2979 or contact via E-mail.
Other recent recipients of donations from Masonic Village include hurricane survivors in Gulfport, Miss., and The Glass House and Water Street Rescue Mission in Lancaster.
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| Masonic Village maintenance staff, Dennis Shreffler and Bradley Kramer, load wheelchairs into a trailer. |
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