Cookeville Regional Charitable Foundation Can Change Lives With Old Medical Equipment

Cookeville Regional Charitable Foundation is changing lives using donations of gently-used medical equipment.

“Project Procure” is a program that collects things like wheelchairs, walkers, and other medical equipment. Executive Director John Bell said they then give them to patients who might not be able to afford them otherwise.

“The impact this has is amazing, particularly on things like wheelchairs,” Bell said. “You’ll have folks that literally haven’t been mobile for a long time and have needed that wheelchair and haven’t been able to get it themselves. You give them that flexibility and that mobility and it’s life-changing.”

Bell said that they appreciate having the extra items to help patients in need, because unexpected expenses can add up quickly when you’re paying for it on your own.

Bell said they can accept durable, easily-cleaned equipment like wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and shower benches. He said they cannot take anything that has touched skin, like boots, braces or breathing apparatuses.

“The other thing we take that’s hard to come by, is nutrition supplements,” Bell said. “Boost, Ensure, and drinks like that. As long as they’re in date, and they’ve been kept at a decent temperature, we can take that kind of thing and pass that on and that’s huge. There are so many patients that struggle with weight loss when they’re sick, they can’t eat properly, and those nutrition drinks are very expensive if you’re buying them at the store.”

Bell said they are tax-deductible donations, and that they go to someone right here in our community.