By Jolene Farley
Steen Reformed Church Vacation Bible School kids and staff raised $1,600 for Hope Haven International Ministries, Rock Valley, Iowa, last June.
Their donation was used to supply 32 children in developing countries with wheelchairs.
An offering was taken every morning during Vacation Bible School. The 101 kids in preschool through eighth grade, 20 teachers and 15 helpers all contributed. But the vast majority of donations came from the kids, according to Ann Boeve, Bible School director.
"We kept a chart up front," said Boeve. "Each $50 donation bought another child a wheelchair. The kids could see it actually working. Fifty dollars actually did something."
Hope Haven was founded in 1964 and concentrates on meeting the needs of the local disabled. Hope Haven in turn founded the Hope Haven International Ministries in 1993 to help meet the needs of the disabled around the world.
The wheelchair program is an opportunity for persons with disabilities, nursing homes, hospitals, and home medical companies in the United States to donate used wheelchairs.
Many disabled in the United States outgrow wheelchairs or upgrade to better equipment. This leaves them with used wheelchairs that are still in good condition.
Using donated wheelchair parts and volunteer labor, usually retirees, Hope Haven International refurbishes wheelchairs at either the main shop in Rock Valley or one of its satellite shops and redistributes them to those who need them.
Teams of healthcare professionals then distribute the wheelchairs free of charge to people in developing countries. Hope Haven International’s goal is to provide dignity and mobility to persons with disabilities around the world.
The Steen Vacation Bible School sixth-grade youths were allowed to help with that goal. They toured the Rock Valley shop and helped load some donated items.
After the donated wheelchairs are distributed overseas, photos are taken of the disabled children who receive them. The Steen children were able to see photos of the 32 children their donations helped.
The photos are displayed in the Steen Reformed Church as a reminder of what generous giving can accomplish.