Rotary Mobility program recycles unused equipment

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Find yourself in need of crutches but can't find any around Lake Tahoe? Having hip surgery and need a walker for a couple of months? How about a wheelchair? A Rotary Club of South Lake Tahoe project is connecting unused mobility equipment to those who need them.

The program, called Rotary Mobility, has been up and running for six months, but in that short time the Rotary Club of South Lake Tahoe has served 41 people through their new program with 61 mobility items. The costs saved by those served, $6,700.

Barton Hospital and the Attic Thrift Store have been great partners in the program said Rotarian David Kurtzman who has helped develop it. The Attic calls Rotary when they get mobility equipment donated, then it will be stored until a need comes up. They get references from Barton when people need some help in getting items that can be costly if bought, or if the patient's insurance doesn't cover it.

Kurtzman said the whole idea is to save people money and get needed equipment that they can't find, or afford.

Last week a visiting grandma broke her ankle under the gondola in South Lake Tahoe while hiking with family. Search and Rescue got her off the hill, then she was transported to Barton. Her granddaughter called stores in the area, looking for a wheelchair to be used temporarily. Not able to find one, she called Barton Health who referred her to Kurtzman.

"We don't rent, we don't sell, we give," said Kurtzman of the mobility equipment.

They take donations of crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, canes, shower chairs, commodes, knee wheelers, and other mobility supplies. The Rotary Club is using a small storage unit since what they take it, they are able to give out without it staying around for long.

Rotary Mobility is being used by locals and visitors alike. A few calls have been received by locals knowing they were going to need something to get around on after n upcoming surgery and they were planning ahead.

Most of the equipment has been given back once the recipient no longer needs it, but if they don't, Kurtzman says that is okay. As with the injured hiker, she needed the chair when getting off the airplane so took it with her. She can then pay it forward and donate it to someone in her town.

Someone tried to donate a hospital bed to them, but they don't currently have space to store bigger items. Kurtzman saw a special system for getting an immobile person upstairs on Facebook, and the next day he had someone call looking for one, so he connected the two people.

Right now the word is getting around about what Rotary Mobility does, mostly by word of mouth. A few people have even been referred through Facebook.

Anyone that has had to try and get rid of mobility equipment after a loved one's passing knows there isn't much of a demand for it through normal channels, but Rotary is hoping to change that.

Since the program is starting off so promising in South Lake Tahoe, Kurtzman said they are trying to get the program to take off with Rotary Clubs around the country, and even the world.

"We had no idea how this was going to work or grow," said Kurtzman.

He had the idea in the back of his head for years, ever since being in the Peace Corps in Africa. Residents in areas he worked knew firsthand what it was like to not have medical equipment.

Rotary Mobility has a temporary website, one they hope to have perfected. It can be found at RotaryMobility.com. If anyone needs to donate or receive an item, contact Kurtzman at 530.545.3283. At this time they aren't handling cash donations. So far, the project has cost a total of $80 and that was for the website and business cards.

Kurtzman said they can help any other Rotary Club get started on their own regional mobility program. Investment is low and success can be high. He said it'd be great if they get to the point with a professional website where one could type in the town they were looking for equipment, and they'd be connected with a program in that area.