New warehouse is open!
The brand new wheelchair repair and refurbishing shop opened its
doors on January 13, 2009! It was built with donations from supporters
in the USA and is now open to serve the community in Mexico. Team 10,
an energetic team of volunteers from the USA, was there to take part in
the ribbon cutting ceremony where Sergio Valdez, our wheelchair repair
and maintenance manager did the honor.
Push
International's new wheelchair repair and maintenance shop is open to
serve the community on our shared campus in Mazatlan, Mexico! The new
'D' building is centered between the horse therapy arena and the
occupational therapy and speech therapy office. It is a
place for Sergio to adjust and repair mobility equipment on an
ongoing basis. The new building was been designed by Sergio himself in
order to allow him the greatest amount of efficiency and access to
equipment, parts, tools and recipient records as possible.
The
new shop is open three days per week to provide sustainable services to
people with disabilities in need. During that time, people who have
previously received equipment from Push International or other
organizations, bring their equipment to the warehouse. There Sergio
repairs, adjusts and teaches the recipient how to properly care for and
maintain their equipment. People who are in need of new mobility
equipment may also make appointments or stop by the shop to receive
equipment. To learn more about the warehouse click here.
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 January super team!
We had a wonderful trip to Mazatlan, Mexico in
January. The team was an amazing mix of personalities and skills, all
with great serving hearts for the disabled poor! Several members of our
board were joined by 12 students from University of Puget Sound, studying for
their Masters Degrees in Occupational Therapy and a mother/daughter team from
West View Baptist Church in Hutchinson Kansas.
We held the first distribution in La Palma, about 20 miles
out of Mazatlan. After traveling down long, rough and dusty road we came
upon this quaint little village of farmers and ranchers, quite picturesque of
the "old west." We got the privilege to meet, laugh with and serve roughly 20
recipients with mobility aids. One unique opportunity came in La Palma to
do a few home visits, personally delivering a wheelchair to those that could
not physically come to the town square. The team was quick to learn
the process of seating recipients in wheelchairs and proper adjustments, but
the most impressive part of the day was seeing how each member gave their
hearts, kindness, and contagious love and compassion.
Our second distribution was at our home base in Mazatlan,
Padres Y Compadres. It was our biggest day of the week, serving more than
35 recipients with mobility aids. The Felton Foundation provided a clown
for entertainment at the distributions and the whole day felt more like a party
than work. Recipients, families and all involved were laughing, hugging
and dancing in their seats! One highlight came when Bree Lair our
co-founder had the opportunity to re-seat Pedro. 8 years ago she had the
opportunity to give a little boy his first wheelchair at a distribution. He had
long since out grew his old wheelchair and now this young man has a much better
suited wheelchair for his active lifestyle.
Tecomate was the town of our third distribution, roughly 30
miles another direction outside of Mazatlan. We worked in the shade of a
beautiful Catholic Church in the town square and were able to bless 21 more
recipients with mobility aids. The whole town seemed to come out to
support and celebrate with the recipients. Again there were hearts full
of joy, laughing and dancing along with the clown, in their new seats and in
the dusty road.
The momentum was so great this week we couldn't stop!
Our final day in Mazatlan, typically reserved for a little R&R, one last
opportunity came up. Earlier in the week four children were coming to us
from another town to receive a wheelchair at a distribution, but did not make
it. They were able to come the last evening, and it was quite a late and
rewarding ending to the week being able to fit 4 more children in very
customized wheelchairs.
I hope you can join us next time and experience even more
amazing moments yourself. God Bless!
To read more team success stories click here.
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 Wheelchair lift van in action
Push International received a very generous donation of a wheelchair
lift van from Pushing Boundaries, a therapy center in Washington, in the fall
of 2008. In January 2009 Jeff and Bree Lair drove the van from Seattle to
Nogales, Arizona. There they met up with Russ Miller who had driven a truck
load of wheelchairs from Colorado to Nogales. The equipment was transferred into
a Mexican trunk and driven to Mazatlan. Russ climbed into the van and the three
drove from Nogales to Mazatlan. The van is now used by Sergio Valdez, Push
International's wheelchair repair and maintenance director, so that he can
deliver equipment to people with disabilities who are shut-in to their homes, have broken down
equipment or are in need of a new equipment consult. At this moment, the van is driving
through the pueblos of Mexico serving people with disabilities in need!
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Greetings!
