How you can get a wheelchair, cane, or walker for free

Emily Scarlett anchoring/reporting
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Renew Mobility is holding its first-ever “Equipment for Wellness Event,” on Friday, providing mobility equipment like wheelchairs, canes and walkers for free. Here’s how it works and how you can get access to the free equipment.
“Our mission is to enhance independence through access to mobility equipment,” said Coleen Davis, the executive director of Renew Mobility.
The organization works with a variety of community partners like Western Michigan University (WMU).
WMU occupational therapy program director, Nancy Hock, said, “For our students to learn more about equipment and mobility and then to give back to our community,” the opportunity provides the perfect hands-on experience for these students. “In the field of occupational therapy, our goal and mission is to get our clients back to whatever their occupations might be.”
The equipment is made available through community donations.
“Most of it is gently used. We take everything from canes and walkers all the way to power wheelchairs,” said Davis.
She explained that Renew Mobility hopes to remove financial barriers to needed mobility equipment.
“All insurance companies offer one piece of durable medical equipment every five years," she said. "So, if your circumstances change or you need more than one piece to be safe in your home, you have to pay for it yourself.”
This equipment can be costly.
Davis told 13 ON YOUR SIDE, “Power wheelchairs can cost between $20,000 and $40,000. So, the price of a vehicle.”
The organization makes sure your equipment is in working condition even after you leave.
Ahead of Friday’s event, “these students have gone to the warehouse at Renew Mobility and have helped clear or repair equipment,” said Hock.
“We continue to repair and maintain the equipment once we place it,” said Davis, adding, “We will tighten brakes, we’ll come out and put air in the tires, whatever it is they need.”
They’ll even replace expensive power wheelchair batteries.
“We don’t want it sitting in a room because they can’t afford the batteries,” said Davis.
Davis revealed that Renew Mobility currently has about $1 million worth of mobility equipment in their two warehouses and they want people to have the assistance they need.
The event is Friday is from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the WMU Grand Rapids campus parking lot at 200 Ionia Avenue SW.
Again, these services are free of charge as long as you live within the eight counties they serve: Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kent, Ottawa, Montcalm, Muskegon and Newago.
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