Author: eanderson

REquipment’s fiscal year 2022 (FY22) annual report is now available, and the numbers are impressive. The report is dedicated to our late program director, Jen Baker, who passed away at her desk in January 2022. However, it’s Dan Perkins, our current program director, who is the focus of this post.

REquipment provided 1,554 pieces of refurbished durable medical equipment valued at $2.2 million to Massachusetts residents in FY22. This is slightly more than what we reassigned in FY21 and 49% more than pre-pandemic 2019! We have our incredible team to thank, especially Program Director Dan Perkins.

We hired Dan in 2018 with thirteen years of experience working in the durable medical equipment (DME) and Assistive Technology field. He’d done everything from evaluating and configuring medical equipment to working as a delivery technician and a facilities manager. Dan stepped into Jen’s role after serving as donations coordinator.  His experience and accumulated knowledge of all things REquipment helped smooth this difficult time and transition. Thank you, Dan.

As proud as we are of our FY22 numbers and Dan’s leadership, we could help many more vulnerable Massachusetts residents if we could refurbish and deliver equipment more quickly. Our storage facilities are packed with donated DME; the bottleneck is the time it takes to evaluate, clean, sanitize, and deliver it.

Do you know someone who would like to make a difference by cleaning durable home medical equipment at our warehouse in Worcester? Who can drive a van and deliver devices from Worcester or Canton? Check out the six work opportunities currently posted at diligent-gray-hare.162-244-253-142.cpanel.site/. Also, read our annual report and learn how collecting donations and providing equipment brings relief and a sense of community to your neighbors.

We are so thankful to you—our supporters and service users—for supporting our efforts with funds, equipment donations, and simply getting the word out about REquipment so we can continue.

Your commitment to our mission is the best way you help us remember and honor Jen Baker.

Sincerely,

Karen Langley
President and CEO
REquipment, Inc.

It was a little after 8 am.a year ago today that I got a call to inform me that Jen had unexpectedly died. She was at her desk as she was early every day getting a start on the day.

Jen started working for REquipment, Inc. in February 2017 as the Program Coordinator, after having worked at the New England Assistive Technology Program Oak Hill, CT for 14 years. She came as our DME reuse program was in its infancy and with her experience, great organizational skills and passion for reuse she immediately was able to quickly establish processes and procedures to facilitate requests for equipment efficiently and provide the necessary reporting documentation for funders.

But Jen was not just about the paperwork. She was compassionate and cared a great deal about the people we serve. She worked with staff to expediate necessary documentation and personally picked up and delivered equipment when the individual’s need was great or immediate. She was also a great problem solver. Several years ago, when the online inventory host failed, she devised a way to handle requests with an offline spreadsheet method which enabled the program to continue for several months until the online solution was found. It was significantly more effort for her but meant people could still be served. During several months of the pandemic two of the four reuse sites were shut down. She worked closely with the remaining two to pick up the increased workload.

Jen was also a good listener. Her phone went on early, and she would take staff calls until the evening to problem solve or to lend an ear. I spoke to Jen almost every workday for 5 years. We provided each other a lot of peer support. Even when her plate was full, she offered to help others. That was in her DNA. Jen and husband Mark also supported the Enfield Police Department where Mark worked, hosting events for the police department staff, having an annual pig roast for friends and family at her home and available to help others in need. She was always generous of her time and spirit.

You might have realized by now that Jen took on much more work than was required or expected. Even when she and her husband visited their favorite place in St Martin in the summer, she worked a couple of hours a day so that people’s requests wouldn’t be held up for 3 weeks. She’d send pictures of herself sitting by the beach, with her toes in the water and an iPad on her lap working.

Jen was the glue that kept the day-to-day operation of the statewide DME Reuse Program together.

Last Spring, the REquipment, Inc. Board of Directors established a scholarship in her name, “The Jen Baker Memorial Scholarship” of $1000 to be awarded to a student from MA or CT pursuing a career in OT, PT or similar field with an emphasis on reuse. It is one way we can honor her memory as she was a lifelong learner.

So, a year has passed, and we pulled ourselves together to make the program work as Jen would have wanted us to do. We miss Jen every day, but her spirit carries us on.

Karen Langley
President/CEO
1/24/23

We need your support! REquipment DME is blessed with an abundance of equipment donations. Unfortunately, it’s forced us to put a hold on accepting new donations; something we don’t like to do. But we’re bursting at the seams and need more space! Currently we are renting 10 storage units and drop off space in New Bedford, E. Bridgewater, and Salem. Even with all these locations we’re still at full capacity.

We need to consolidate our 7 rental units in Worcester into a warehouse that also gives us additional room to grow.

The need has never been greater! We are averaging 7-8 requests every day for wheelchairs, bath seats, lifts, power wheelchairs, rollators and other needed equipment.

Since the Worcester Reuse site opening in October 2014, the small but dedicated staff have processed and delivered 5,919 pieces of refurbished equipment valued at $11.8m. They are the largest and most productive DME reuse site in the state.

We need your support to consolidate and expand our rental space into a warehouse in Worcester. Your generous donation will assist with heat, electricity, insurance, shelving, and other supplies.

We’ve set a goal of raising $25,000 to support this important consolidation and growth of storage. Won’t you donate to support our effort to ensure there is equipment for our neighbors and friends in need?

Donate today at www.dmereuse.org or send a check to REquipment, Inc., PO Box 311, Methuen, MA 01844.

Be part of the solution and thank you for your generous support!

REquipment staff, Dan and Jim, deliver wheelchair.

Did you make your donation to REquipment DME Reuse on Giving Tuesday?  If not, there is still time.

Giving Tuesday is a day when people reflect on the organizations they know, think about their impact, and choose those they want to support their mission through a financial donation. REquipment Durable Medical Equipment Reuse impacts the lives of people with disabilities, seniors, and their family members by providing free refurbished medical equipment. Last year we provided more than 1530 pieces of equipment; the most popular being manual wheelchairs, rollators, shower chairs and power wheelchairs, for people whose insurance would not cover the purchase, or they could not afford to buy.  Our equipment provided them with mobility in their home and community and the ability to perform self-care safely.

We recently received a card from the family of Tony from Springfield thanking us for the bariatric power wheelchair we provided him. His primary wheelchair was broken, and he did not have a back up.  Repairs often take several weeks. “You’ve given him his mobility back. We don’t know what we would have done without your kindness.” Tony’s story is like many people we serve who need a power wheelchair.  Last summer we were part of a larger community effort to assist Gene, a 93-year-old veteran and Orange resident, to stay in his home.  The community members volunteered their time and materials to build him a ramp, widen doorways, built raised garden beds and we provided the power wheelchair to get him access in and out of his home. Gene was very pleased with the wheelchair. “This thing’ll stop on a dime and give you 9 cents’ change,’ he said while taking the wheelchair for a spin. ‘It’s quite a unit, no two ways about it,’ he told a local reporter.

Won’t you consider REquipment for a tax-deductible donation on this Giving Tuesday? Checks can be mailed to REquipment, PO Box 311, Methuen, MA 01844 or donations through our secure web portal at www.dmereuse.org.

Since July of 2020, we’ve given away over 134 refurbished power wheelchairs, the most expensive items in our inventory. New, these power chairs range from $5,000 (basic models) to $45,000 (custom configurations). As you can imagine, giving away equipment this expensive makes a remarkable difference in the lives of people who request it. The challenge now is to keep pace with device donations and demand.

Our technicians spend most of their time evaluating, inspecting, repairing, cleaning, and testing each power wheelchair before it is assigned to a new owner. Every power wheelchair receives two new batteries to ensure the chair will operate properly. We use our limited resources wisely and shop around to get the best price we can for batteries; it costs between $160-$200 per power wheelchair for batteries alone. Since the start of the pandemic, the cost of batteries has risen due to costs associated with the supply chain.

Why are we so motivated? Some people can’t function without this equipment. They’re people with new or lifelong disabilities, older adults, families with children with disabilities, or those with a temporary need due to surgery or illness. Examples include:

•    a 93-year-old WWII/Korean veteran needing a power wheelchair to stay in the home where he and his wife raised their family and to get to his newly built accessible garden.

•    a woman with cerebral palsy from Boston who no longer had the energy to walk long distances received a power wheelchair to get to her appointments and have a social life.

When I tell people what REquipment does–accepting used medical equipment, cleaning, repairing, and giving it away for free–I always get a great response: “That’s wonderful!” “It’s so needed!” “It’s great someone is doing it and not throwing all that equipment away!”
Well, now I’m asking for your support.

REquipment is the only reuse program in the state refurbishing power wheelchairs.  All the other smaller programs have stopped due to the cost of batteries and the increasing complexity of repairing power chairs. When they get a donation offer of a power wheelchair, they send the person to us.  We are the only program that serves the entire state and provides delivery.

Won’t you sponsor a power wheelchair? Approximately. $500 gets a REquipment power chair out of our warehouse and rolling into your communities.

Donations of any amount can be made at www.dmereuse.org through our secure Network for Good portal or by sending a check made out to REquipment DME Reuse Program to REquipment, PO Box 311, Methuen, MA 01844. We will provide you with a tax donation letter.

We feel tremendously fortunate to receive so many wheelchair donations and be able to transform so many lives. Be a part of this!

We promise your donations will be powerful.

I, like almost everyone else, am happy to see 2020 go. Even though the pandemic is still at a peak, there is some hope with the vaccines rolling out this past week that an end is in sight for 2021.  Next step is to get every American, who wants and is able to receive the vaccine, one for free.

I am very hopeful for the DME Reuse Program as we enter the new year as our funding cut has been restored, which will allow us to add additional staff to pick up donations, evaluate, sanitize, refurbish and deliver even more durable medical equipment.  Since July 2020, we have delivered 737 pieces of equipment to MA residents. Equipment such as power and manual wheelchairs, standers, rollators, tub seats and shower chairs, lifts, portable ramps and more.  We are on target to deliver 1500 by June 30th.  Our friends and neighbors, who are seniors, children and adults with disabilities and others, are in need of equipment and we want to provide them with free, quality refurbished durable medical equipment so they can lead safer and more independent lives in their home and community.

We also couldn’t do this without donors, both financial and equipment. Without donated equipment, this program wouldn’t be in existence. We hope to continue to receive bulk donations from individuals, assisted living and other facilities, that no longer need it.  I am incredibly grateful for financial donors, big and small, that help to pay for a tank of gas, replacement wheelchair batteries and the costs associated with doing business in the state. Please continue to support this “safety net” program so it will be there when needed.

Sadly, some people who have survived the COVID-19 virus will go on to have long term symptoms and conditions. Their chronic condition may mean they will need durable medical equipment for mobility or to conserve strength or energy. We will continue our outreach activities to let the range of social service agencies know about our program and pass it on to the people they serve.  If you need more information check our website at www.dmereuse.org or call us at 1 800 261-9841.

Stay safe, continue to wear your mask, social distance, wash your hands frequently, get the vaccine when available and look out for others.

Happy New Year!

October of 2020 was an excellent month for REquipment!  We delivered 135 refurbished and sanitized DME devices to our neighbors across Massachusetts. These included 40 manual wheelchairs, 8 power wheelchairs, 7 scooters, and 24 shower chairs: devices that make it possible for individuals of all ages with disabilities, as well as seniors and veterans, to get around in their homes and communities with independence and confidence. We couldn’t be prouder to be serving Massachusetts communities this effectively and safely (with tight Covid-19 protocols) during the pandemic.

To date this year, we have delivered 523 pieces of refurbished equipment valued at over $680,000!

However, I’m reaching out because we need your help and support for continuing into the new year. Massachusetts has not passed an FY’21 state budget, and our state contract ends December 31. Rumors are the budget won’t pass until early January 2021, but we have no assurances. Without a guarantee of funding, we will be forced to lay off staff and shut down operations starting in mid-December.

How you can help:

1. Contact your state senator and state representative and let them know they need to pass the FY’21 budget as soon as possible so that programs relying on state funding can provide services. Need their email address or phone number? Search your legislator.
2. Ask your state senator and state representative to ensure the REquipment Durable Medical Equipment Reuse Program gets funded through June 30, 2021, in Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission’s 4120-4000 account.  Let them know the program will close down without their support. Let them know why this program is important to you.
3. Make a financial donation to the program through our web portal at www.dmereuse.org or send a check to REquipment DME Reuse, PO Box 311, Methuen, MA 01844.  We have secured a small SBA loan to cover salaries for 6 weeks beginning January 2021. But we need resources to pay for telephones, gas for delivery vans, etc. to bridge the gap while we await a contract extension.

Your support will mean so much during this critical time. Please feel free to contact me at klangley@dmereuse.org with any questions. Thank you for your essential ongoing support.