Free Wheelchair Vans From All Things Possible
Published: 2022-06-20 - Updated: 2022-06-23
Author: All Things Possible Medical Fundraising | Contact: allthingspossible.org
Peer-Reviewed Publication: N/A
Library of Related Papers: Disability Charities - Donations Publications
Synopsis: Providing families in Charlotte, NC, and the surrounding areas with good-quality, dependable, low-mileage free wheelchair-accessible vans.. This is our story about how we help those with disabilities. No other nonprofit in the country is doing what we do - giving away quality wheelchair vans. In just the last three years, we have given away twenty-five vans. The receiving families never need to pay us back a cent for these vans, and the vans are immediately titled in their names. Very often, they are under six years old and under 60,000 miles. We purchase them from a local wheelchair van dealer who thoroughly inspects them, fixes any issues, and provides a one-year warranty.
Definition
- Wheelchair Vans
- A wheelchair-accessible van is a vehicle that has been modified by increasing the internal size of the vehicle and equipping it with a means of wheelchair entry, such as a wheelchair ramp or powered lift. There are two types of entry configurations: side-entry and rear-entry. The entry location impacts wheelchair seating positions, parking options, the ability to accommodate other passengers, and storage availability. Modifications fall into two categories; the first is where the individual in a wheelchair is the driver, and the second is where the individual in a wheelchair is a passenger.
Main Digest
This is our story about how we help those with disabilities. No other nonprofit in the country is doing what we do - giving away quality wheelchair vans. While these are pre-owned vans, our criteria are that they must be under ten years old with under 100,000 miles. Very often, they are under six years old and under 60,000 miles. We purchase them from a local wheelchair van dealer who thoroughly inspects them, fixes any issues, and provides a one-year warranty. As of year-end 2021, 93% of our donations went toward the mission. We're changing lives for the (vetted and approved) families we serve.
Related Publications:
Every year, millions of Americans are impacted by some form of movement disability. Being restricted to a wheelchair, whether it has been someone's reality for their entire life, or they have been thrust into this new reality after years of mobility, the hard truth is that reality is often unkind to those who cannot move for themselves, as well as their loved ones and caretakers.
Our Past
After a life-changing diagnosis of a rare autoimmune disorder of the liver and a month in the hospital, Lisa Sexton discovered a truth that we are all aware of but sometimes tried to forget being hospitalized in the United States is a huge financial burden. Strapped with financial debt from the facility that was supposed to help her, the constant fear and stress gave her insight into the struggles of the chronically ill and hospitalized and how the systems largely fail them in place. She decided at once that this needed to stop and founded All Things Possible Medical Fundraising.
The organization's original intent was to bridge the gap due to medical debt remaining after insurance pays their portion. This is still an important issue, but ATP was quickly inundated with requests for a far more pressing need that nobody else was noticing: the price of transportation for the disabled. In 2019, ATP changed its focus to this overlooked population segment.
Our Present
All Things Possible Medical Fundraising aims to provide families in Charlotte, NC, and the surrounding areas with good-quality, dependable, low-mileage wheelchair-accessible vans. These vans give a sense of normalcy and safety to those who need and use them. They are instrumental and helpful in getting wheelchair users to numerous doctor's visits and emergency care facilities in extreme situations. But beyond that, patients and caregivers both report that what winds up making a surprisingly large impact is the ability to see family and friends travel the neighborhood to see Christmas lights or even go to the store or the park-like the average person. Many of these families crave normalcy in a life that will never truly allow it, and we're proud to bring them one step closer.
We ask that they return the vehicles when they are no longer needed so that we can bless another family in need. Last year alone, we gave away ten vans. That's ten families impacted for the better and ten individuals who now have safe and reliable transportation for all their needs. We know that the number ten may not seem large, but it is huge considering that each van now averages $35k - $38k and all the memories and changed lives created by each van. Also, consider the calm in the storm of the lives of those ten people and the families who hold them, dear. In the last year and with $350k, we've generated an unimaginable amount of possibility, one van at a time.
Our Future
We may be doing well in accomplishing our mission thus far, but we are not in a place of complacency. We plan to expand beyond Charlotte to help even more needy families eventually. More than anything, our current goal is to achieve more awareness. We want more people to know about our mission and the problem we are trying to help solve so that we can gain more workforce and financial strength to rectify the issue. Someday, we hope to be widely known and supported, so our ability to help others will expand. We want nothing better than to make All Things Possible for disabled individuals throughout the Carolinas and beyond.
We are so grateful for the opportunity to serve others and share our mission, and we are excited about the future and to have others come alongside us in this journey.
Events
Annual fundraising events include a golf tournament that sells out every spring and a Charity Rock Concert in the fall, attracting over 600 people. Several of the families we have helped will volunteer at our events because now they have the mobility to get there and be part of the community.
Recognition
In 2021, All Things Possible was honored with the state of South Carolina's Angel Award.
This award is granted annually to 10 - 15 nonprofits from the entire state. This recognition is given personally at a ceremony presented by the Secretary of State to highlight those nonprofits who demonstrate excellence in stewardship of the donations coming into their nonprofits.
Who is All Things Possible Medical Fundraising?
All Things Possible Medical Fundraising is a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity.
Their organization is blessed to have individuals who freely give their time and talent. Their Board continually provides wisdom, guidance, and energy to impact those they serve. They currently serve those living in the Charlotte, NC, metropolitan area. This includes Mecklenburg County, Union County, Gaston County, and parts of the Lake Norman area in NC. In SC, they cover York County and part of Lancaster County.
Resources That Provide Relevant Information
- Grant Writing for a Wheelchair Van
- Vocational Rehabilitation: Purchasing a Wheelchair Accessible Van
- Rear-Entry and Side-Entry Wheelchair Conversion Options for Minivans
- Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles: The Basics
- Selecting the Right Wheelchair Van
- Wheelchair Accessible Van Rentals for Persons with Disability
Attribution/Source(s):
This quality-reviewed article relating to our disability charities - donations section was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World due to its likely interest to our disability community readers. Though the content may have been edited for style, clarity, or length, the article "Free Wheelchair Vans From All Things Possible" was originally written by All Things Possible Medical Fundraising. Should you require further information or clarification, they can be contacted at allthingspossible.org Disabled World makes no warranties or representations in connection therewith.
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