This year, REquipment, Inc. is not just raising dollars to get more durable medical equipment (DME) and assistive technology (AT) to Massachusetts residents—we are also recruiting community members to build a powerful advocacy network come budget season. Sign up to help DME and AT reuse remain a funding priority in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts!
Whether or not you can afford to make a financial gift, please volunteer to contact your state representatives through calls or emails.
“Sticks in a bundle can’t be broken” – Kenyan proverb
Advocating is easy, impactful, and quick. We provide all the tools and guidance you need to encourage your legislators to become or remain REquipment program champions.
You may be thinking…
I’d like to, but I’ve never done anything like this before. I don’t understand the state budget-making process. How will I know what to say?
We will email you a simple script and a time frame for taking action. You can add anything you’d like about why DME reuse is important to you and your community, or you can simply read the script.
I don’t know my state reps or how to find who they are.
No problem! We’ll include their contact information or a link to help you find them.
What can I expect when I call?
An aide at your state representative’s office will note the reason for your call and that you are a constituent. Their job is to tally which issues are generating the most calls. Calls take only a moment, and emails are equally effective if that’s more comfortable for you.
How else can I help this budget season?
You can help REquipment build an advocacy tree. Ask three people to join you in making calls or sending emails to help protect the REquipment program budget, and encourage them to ask three others. Together we can amplify our message and secure the funding needed to keep REquipment strong. This is the grassroots spirit that keeps REquipment going in Massachusetts.
Whether you can make a financial gift, pledge to advocate, or both, you are helping REquipment remain the robust reuse program that Massachusetts residents with disabilities, seniors, veterans, and families have come to rely on.
Do you know someone who could use an alarm clock with a large display, alarm amplification, strobe light, and a bed shaker? The Geemarc Wake Up Call is designed to wake heavy sleepers and those with sensory disabilities. Features include:
Extra loud adjustable volume
Extra large LED display
Flashing strobe light
Shaker pod
Alarm options that allow customizing volume, flashes, and bed shaking.
Devices in the REquipment inventory are free and available to residents of Massachusetts. Help REquipment find a great home for this powerful alarm clock. Pick-up is in W. Springfield, or it may be delivered if combined with a request for an oversized item (for the same $20 delivery fee).
Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving, and it’s a great opportunity to make a difference in your community by donating to the causes you care about.
This year, join all of us at REquipment as we rally with people worldwide to raise money for our favorite causes. Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after U.S. Thanksgiving (so, December 3rd this year). With your help, we’ll make it possible to get more valuable equipment to Massachusetts residents with disabilities who need it.
A matching gift is in the works, so stay tuned as our Giving Tuesday campaign develops!
REquipment, Inc.’s Giving Tuesday 2024 video. The link opens the clip on YouTube, where a video description is also provided.
Device Spotlight
Do you know someone who could use a refurbished Freedom Scientific Onyx Swing Arm magnifier with a remote control?
The Onyx Swing Arm magnifier by Freedom Scientific
This device magnifies objects or text to a connected screen that you provide. Two of these magnifiers are currently available and are in excellent condition. Pick-up is in W. Springfield, or they may be delivered with a larger item for $20.
Devices in the REquipment inventory are free and available to residents of Massachusetts. Help us find great homes for this terrific equipment.
Last week, REquipment celebrated its 10th anniversary in the Worcester Reuse Center warehouse. The program commandeered a Dept. of Developmental Services conference room and shared a slideshow of the program’s history with partner organizations, members of the state legislature, and others invited to share in the reverie and tour the reuse center operation.
The room was full, as were the hearts of those who attended.
REquipment CEO Adriana Mallozzi with a roomful of 10th-anniversary attendees.REquipment’s founder, Karen Langley, State Sen. Robyn Kennedy, Paul Medeiros and Joe Bellil of Easterseals Mass.
“I want to join in screaming from the rooftops about this organization and the work that you are doing,” extolled State Sen. Robyn Kennedy.
State Sen. Robyn Kennedy speaks to the crowd as REquipment CEO Adriana Mallozzi looks on.
Worcester Reuse Center Coordinator Jim Smith led the tour with Program Director Dan Perkins. Attendees learned how durable medical equipment is delivered, cleaned, repaired, and sanitized using a Hub Scrub with ultraviolet light.
Jim Smith, Worcester Reuse Center Coordinator, explains the reuse process. Jim was among the staff members honored on this day, highlighting his hard work and dedication that has kept REquipment operating through many challenges over the last ten years.
The formal celebration began with a three minute film made about the program in 2018 that opens with the late Joe Tringali, a founding REquipment board member and the program director of Stavros Center for Independent Living, a REquipment reuse partner. (Captioned below)
State Representative Mindy Domb spoke after the video, explaining with tears in her eyes, "It's because of a phone call from Joe Tringali that I became involved once I got elected in understanding this organization, recognizing what you do, and supporting it." She spoke passionately about the program and presented REquipment Inc. CEO Adriana Mallozzi with a citation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives recognizing REquipment's 10th anniversary.
“There are so many things that people love about this organization,” she said, emphasizing REquipment’s trust for people to identify what they need. “You are so easy to support. And I’ll be working with my colleagues in the legislature to continue to move forward with making sure that you have the funding you need to continue to meet the needs.”
Great words to hear as another budget-making season approaches!
Sen. Kennedy was also passionate and presented a letter on behalf of the entire Worcester delegation, congratulating the program on a decade of improving the independence of individuals with disabilities. “Your mission has made a profound impact on our community,” she was heartfelt in acknowledging.
In attendance, as well, were Rep. Bruce Ayers, founder of the Quincy Helping Hands reuse program, Kenneth Bergeron from Rep. James O’Day’s office, and Robert Totaro from Webster Five Savings Bank, who provided REquipment, Inc., a vital line of credit when the nonprofit was just launching in 2016.
“As a local savings bank, this is exactly the type of organization that you want to support,” he said as he accepted a REquipment Program Champion award.
“We will be telling everyone on Beacon Hill about this program,” promised Rep. Bruce Ayers. “It’s a game changer.”
REquipment program founder and retired CEO Karen Langley was feted during and after the formal presentation for her vision, dedication, tenacity, and personal sacrifice to bring REquipment to where it is today. Karen told the room that founding the REquipment program was the culmination of her long career in disability services and her most important work.
She used most of her time, however, to thank the staff and community and to acknowledge the passing of Program Director Jen Baker in 2022, who had helped to steer REquipment through the pandemic. Jen Baker was her great friend and partner in growing the program into a resource now heavily relied on by families, individuals, veterans, children, service providers, and therapists. “I called her every day,” she said.
REquipment founder Karen Langley presents an award of appreciation to REquipment Program Director Dan Perkins, who stepped up after Jen Baker died in 2022 to help steer the ship.
Program champion and advocate Olivia Richard also attended. The video sharing her story as one of the program's longest users and supporters closed out the presentation to remind attendees of the tremendous difference a reuse program makes for individuals and the Commonwealth as a whole when it is sustained over time. Applause greeted its conclusion.
“It was an incredible day," exuded REquipment CEO Adriana Mallozzi, who worked overtime to see this anniversary properly acknowledged. "It was profoundly moving to hear how important the program is to so many. Everyone who has played a role feels a sense of ownership. This program truly belongs to the community."
Attendees were lavished with food, balloons, and gifts donated by area businesses. Thanks to everyone expressing their love, support, and appreciation for REquipment.
When a community comes together with a clear mission, watch out! Truly, anything is possible.
The event was a rare opportunity to take a REquipment program staff photo. Left to right: Hector LeBron, Site Coordinator with Stavros CIL; Amin Ulloa, Equipment Technician, Stavros CIL, Karen Langley, REquipment founder, and retired CEO REquipment, Inc.; Eliza Anderson, REquipment Editor, and Marketing Coordinator; James Riel, REquipment Technician; Anthony Calderon-Diaz, Driver/Technician REquipment, Inc.; Dan Perkins, REquipment Program Director; Adriana Mallozzi, CEO REquipment, Inc.; Jim Smith, Worcester Reuse Center Coordinator, DDS; Brian Sullivan (kneeling), Equipment Technician, Stavros CIL; Bill Fredette, Driver/Technician, REquipment, Inc.; Rodney Salsbury, Equipment Technician, Stavros CIL, Tiffaney Connelly, Assignment Coordinator, REquipment, Inc.
It was also a gorgeous day to show off a REquipment van with an array of donated devices.
We are gathering stories and data to celebrate, to understand our history, and to understand our impact on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The picture emerging suggests that when individuals and organizations are committed to a mission, they can be unstoppable.
In 2011, disability advocates and state leaders identified a need for a Massachusetts reuse program to provide backup wheelchairs because repair delays left people stuck in bed for weeks.
In 2013, with savvy leadership from Karen Langley, a reuse pilot was launched to serve Greater Boston. Pappas Rehab Hospital for Children (DPH), The Boston Home, and the Boston Center for Independent Living were reuse partners. Seed funding came from the Shapiro Family Foundation and Spaulding Rehabilitation; MassABILITY (formerly Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission) provided office space and Web development.
Thirty-nine device requests were filled that year.
In 2014, extraordinary support was provided by the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), which, combined with funds from MassABILITY and The Boston Foundation, made it possible to open the program’s Worcester location. REquipment grew from a tiny pilot to a robust program serving Central and Eastern Massachusetts.
Today, REquipment is statewide with support from the legislature, three state agencies, six nonprofits, private donors, and foundations. Reuse partners include UCP of Western Massachusetts, Stavros CIL in Amherst, in addition to DDS in Worcester, and Pappas in Canton. Today, the program provides assistive technology devices in addition to durable medical equipment. Since its inception, the program has distributed more than 11,000 no-cost devices, an estimated savings to the Commonwealth of over $20M.
But what has REquipment come to mean for state residents? For wheelchair users who know too well how long a simple repair can take?
Olivia Richard made the 20th request to the program back in our earliest days. She sent us a video testimonial that we will share with everyone willing to listen. (The video is captioned and includes voiceover.)
If you have made use of our program, you are an essential part of REquipment’s history. We cannot operate without the trust of the community. If you’ve requested or donated devices, then you have helped divert valuable equipment from disposal. Perhaps you’ve made referrals to us among friends and family. Perhaps you’ve made a financial donation as you paid a delivery fee. All of it matters. All of it reduces hoops and hurdles to the equipment people need to maximize their independence at home, school, work, and in their communities.
Recently, we’ve had calls from people compelled to return a device to us because of the sticker that says, “Return to REquipment.”
Most of the time, this is appropriate because they no longer need the device. But sometimes, that’s not the whole story.
Please don’t call us if the equipment is still serving you or a family member. Our REquipment devices are not loaners. They are yours to keep.
If there comes a point where you are no longer using the device you received from us (or another device), then by all means, donate it to us if it still has life left to give. We want to keep the love going.
But a device provided to you by REquipment is yours.
Did you get a wheelchair from insurance (finally)?
Did someone pass another wheelchair to you?
Are you spotting our sticker and feeling like you better call us yesterday? (Because who are you to have that chair now?)
If it’s still serving you or your family member, or if it’s better than the other chair that came your way, keep it. It’s great to have a second chair in case your primary chair fails. It’s also helpful to have different chairs for different uses or environments.
You get to decide.
But if you are done with that wheelchair, lift, shower bench–or whatever–please donate it back to us, and we’ll find it another great home.
Like yours.
And don’t forget to look for additional items you may need in our inventory when selecting a larger item. We can deliver smaller assistive technology devices at the same time for the same $20 delivery fee. We understand the need for several pieces of equipment. They serve different functions.
As our website says: “Find what you need. Donate what you are no longer using.”
Donations! Donations! Donations! So many kinds of donations keep the REquipment program operating.
(We tried to make an AI-generated image of a dalmatian in a shower chair, but Microsoft produced a dog sitting on living room furniture getting wet.)
Looking for a way to help your neighbors acquire free, gently used, durable medical equipment and assistive technology? Last year, we received well over 101 equipment donations. 2,225 devices, to be exact! We are so grateful to this community that makes this wonderful program possible.
“Thank you for all that you do for people like me. These are very expensive. I will now be able to get into bed/wheelchair and vehicle as I am no longer strong enough to do this myself.” – A man in Hardwick who requested a transfer board
Here’s the latest on what REquipment needs to serve more individuals with disabilities of all ages:
Shower chairs. REquipment found new homes for 259 shower chairs last fiscal year, and now we need more, especially in the Worcester area. Please contact us if you have a shower chair you are not using. We can arrange a drop-off or pick-up of durable medical equipment and other large or heavy items.
Devices for computer access. Recently, we found a new home for a foot-controlled mouse with a young adult who has cerebral palsy in Harwich Port. We’d love more items like this, including specialized keyboards and ergonomic pointers. REquipment has regional drop-off locations in New Bedford, E. Bridgewater, Salem, Worcester, W. Springfield, Amherst, and Pittsfield. We do not pick up smaller items.
A warehouse in the northeast. We think big. We went statewide just a few years after our Greater Boston pilot in 2014. We have terrific partners (especially in the State House) who helped make that happen. We’d love to grow our capacity to reach further into communities that need us. Maybe you know someone with a building to donate to our 501(c)3 that would make a great regional reuse center?
Devices for daily living. Do you have shoehorns or specialized utensils like weighted cutlery you are not using? Or perhaps a reacher-grabber tool? Last year, REquipment provided 135 devices of all kinds that support daily living tasks. Often, these are selected from our inventory at the same time as a larger piece of equipment, and we deliver all of them together. Donations of smaller items may be dropped off at one of our regional dropoff sites, and we very much appreciate them.
Donations of money. It takes a lot more than equipment to keep our operation operational. Every single gift makes a difference. $45 will buy a pair of manual wheelchair armrests. $15 will purchase a bottle of Simple Green disinfectant. $80,000 will replace our oldest lift-equipped van for delivering durable medical equipment statewide. $5 buys one-third of a bottle of Simple Green (you get the idea). And, of course, accompanying notes like this are priceless:
“In memory of my dad, Harold Kams, who found independence and joy in his last year of life with the red scooter from REquipment.”
We are thrilled to report the success of your advocacy efforts this year. Though revenue is down in Massachusetts, our champions in the State House–supported by your calls and emails–fought for full funding to REquipment Durable Medical Equipment and Assistive Technology Reuse Program. We faced a devastating $500,000 cut, but the Conference Committee of the legislature included the missing annualization, and the governor sustained the appropriation!
Thank you to everyone who helped the legislature prioritize durable medical equipment reuse for the health of Massachusetts communities, the planet, and your families.
This wonderful news arrives as we are putting the finishing touches on our FY24 annual report. It’s clear the legislature has made a wise investment. Last fiscal year, the REquipment program provided an astounding 2,025 devices statewide to 1,644 unique recipients.
In FY24, the REquipment program provided an astounding 2,025 devices statewide.
These included record numbers of manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, rollators, and shower chairs. And for the first time, REquipment began distributing assistive technology devices in the categories of vision, hearing, activities of daily living, wheelchair accessories, and more.
Thank you to our donors, who overwhelmed our program with equipment to refurbish and distribute. Due to a lack of storage space, we had to close our doors to donations for many weeks this spring to make room for more.
Still, close to 64 tons of devices were diverted from solid waste facilities in FY24.
Recipients of your donations included veterans, children, seniors, and adults with disabilities in all circumstances, from the college student with POTS who needed a wheelchair to get to classes to the older adult astounded to find that Medicare wouldn’t provide her with a shower chair in preparation for hip surgery.
Our program came through, and word is getting out.
Thank you for sharing our wonderful resource with your friends, family, and neighbors. In so many ways, we wouldn’t be here without you.
A guest post from REquipment Program Director Dan Perkins, ATP
A tilt-in-space manual wheelchair, or a power wheelchair with a power tilt function, has many benefits that most people are unaware of. These include:
Pressure Relief
On average, people move 30 times per hour when seated. Sitting in an upright position, gravity pushes down on the body, creating pressure on our buttocks and thighs. Tilting back transfers some of that pressure to our back and head. This not only reduces the risk of developing a pressure injury but also improves comfort.
Respiratory Function
When sitting upright, many people tend to slump forward into a kyphotic position, which may cause impaired respiratory function. Tilting back can open up the thoracic area and reduce the risk of respiratory complications.
Edema Management
To manage swelling of legs, ankles, and feet, a user’s legs should be elevated at or above the heart level. A tilt-in-space wheelchair allows them to achieve this.
“Whine in the Spine”
Back pain is a common complaint for anyone spending time upright in a regular wheelchair. Tilting back allows the spine to relax in a more natural position, improving comfort and sitting tolerance.
Patient Lift Transfers
People who need maximum assistance transferring in or out of a wheelchair using a lift are often at risk of injury, as are their caregivers. Using a tilt-in-space wheelchair allows the caregiver to position the person more easily and safely.
REquipment has several tilt-in-space wheelchairs available now. They are available in pediatric and adult models and may be labeled “complex” with tilt-in-space as an included feature.
One example is the pediatric Permobil K450 MX. Please help us find this incredible complex power chair an appropriate home. The chair is loaded with features, including a power seat-to-floor option, elevation and tilt, adjustable backrest angle, flip-up armrests, seating controls, lap belt, cushioned seating, padded backrest, and transportation options. The seat-to-floor height is 3″—26″. The weight limit is 125 lbs.
All our devices are sanitized, equipped with new batteries, and free to Massachusetts residents. We charge just $20 for delivery, and we deliver anywhere in Massachusetts.
Happy Disability Pride Month! We are celebrating by celebrating you.
Please send us a favorite picture with your durable medical equipment and assistive technology. Or just a favorite picture that best expresses your disability pride. Tell us a little bit about what pride and/or REquipment means to you. Or just share an image. We are thrilled to have this warm supportive community that makes equipment reuse possible. With your trust and donations, we are moving more devices into homes in Massachusetts than ever before. Our goal? Full community inclusion. Help us to amplify your voices. Share how important access to free durable medical equipment and assistive technology is for maximizing independence.
Congratulations to our 2024 Jennifer Baker Scholar!
Dominique Bassallo is pursuing her Master’s in Occupational Therapy (OT) at American International College in Springfield, MA.
“All people have a right to participate in meaningful occupations,” she asserted in her application for our scholarship opportunity. (“Occupations” is OT-speak for activities.)
“That is what motivates me.”
Dominique will use the $1,000 scholarship award for tuition fees and to update her equipment for her assistive technology sports Level II fieldwork.
Specifically, Dominique will be hitting the slopes!
Working with New England Disabled Sports, she plans to train as a snowboard/ski coaching instructor with clients using adaptive ski/riding equipment. “I had the opportunity to shadow a lesson this winter, and it was amazing to see the athletes outfitted in their equipment and excited to hit the mountain.”
Dominique was first drawn to the field of occupational therapy because of the link between mental health and meaningful activities. She writes that she has always enjoyed sports and “the functional use of my body in these occupations” and is determined to assist others to experience the same satisfaction.
REquipment, Inc. is delighted to support this passion, especially since it grew out of Dominique’s experience working as a caregiver to individuals with disabilities who rely on assistive technology and durable medical equipment. Her application sketched an impressive journey to deciding on occupational therapy. She writes of seeing first-hand the power assistive technology has to empower individuals with significant disabilities.
We were also impressed by her thoughtful response on the role of reuse: “[My client] taught me about reuse and sustainability opportunities with AT/DME through donating her previous power chairs.” Going forward, she knows it will be her responsibility to educate DME users on the use and care of their equipment, she explains, and also how to pay it forward by donating what they are no longer using.
This is exactly the mindset REquipment is working to create, and we are thrilled to be the program Dominique will turn to for years to come as she supports her clients to maximize their independence and “participate in meaningful occupations.”
Congratulations Dominique!
The Jennifer Baker Memorial Scholarship is a $1,000 award that honors the memory of our beloved program director, who passed away at the beginning of 2022. Jen Baker was a lifelong learner who helped build the REquipment program.
