Knights of Columbus Wheelchairs
Since 2003, the Knights of Columbus and the The Global Wheelchair Mission have teamed up to help bring wheelchairs to those who lack freedom of mobility.
The Global Wheelchair Mission purchases wheelchairs in bulk and delivers them by sea containers around the world.
In 2003, the Knights of Columbus began participating in the Global Wheelchair Mission and sponsored 2,000 wheelchairs to be distributed in Afghanistan. Since then, Knights in the U.S. and Canada have sponsored the distribution of some 53,000 wheelchairs in Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Oman, Panama, the Philippines, Poland, the United States and Vietnam.
For every donation of $150 received by the Global Wheelchair Mission, it can deliver a brand new wheelchair which would cost over $500 in a medical supply store.
They are shipped in containers of 100 to 280 wheelchairs each directly from the factory to the destination countries at no cost to the recipients.
The Taste of Guatemala event has been able to purchase and transport five brand new wheelchairs and three additional used wheelchairs donated by the Dominican Sisters of Sparkhill to the Hospital Obras de Monsenor Gregorio Schaffer in San Lucas Toliman Guatemala. These wheelchairs have been used in the hospital or donated to disabled individuals to provide mobility.