MARSHFIELD – Recovering from an injury or remaining independent in your own home can be difficult without the right medical equipment. Thanks to the Good News Project’s Health Equipment Lending Program (HELP), people in North Central Wisconsin can borrow necessary equipment to stay mobile, safe and independently living in their own homes.
Leanne Severson, an endocrinology nurse with the Marshfield Clinic Health System nominated the Good News Project as part of Security Health Plan’s Employee-Driven Corporate Giving Program. Each month Security Health Plan awards a $1,000 grant to a different charity or organization nominated by a Marshfield Clinic Health System employee. Employees are encouraged to nominate organizations making a positive difference in the community.
“Used wheelchairs, walkers, knee scooters and crutches often end up in landfills or in the back of someone’s closest. Thanks to volunteers, people are getting a chance to get back on their feet without extra expenses,” says Severson. Volunteers sanitize and repair medical equipment for central Wisconsin residents. People can rent the equipment on a short-term basis to get them through a recovery stage or for daily living as a means to stay independent. Severson and her family volunteer with the Good News Project in other ways such as the group’s e-cycling program as well as construction and landscape projects.
“Good News Project is known for their motto: ‘Be the Good.’ The organizers of this group really love what they do and the communities they serve. They’re eco-conscious and give so much of themselves to help others,” says Severson.
According to Good News Project’s Executive Director, Christine Daniels, the HELP program allows people with limited or no health insurance or those who are unable to qualify for government assistance, the ability to access tools and equipment they need to recover or live independently.
“The independence that it offers is invaluable. People are so grateful. They are often able to stay in their homes with family instead of a facility. If we can continue to work together as a community it makes the community stronger and healthier,” says Daniels.
The Security Health Plan donation will go toward the Good News Project’s HELP Program. As a health care employee, Severson says she’s happy people who need equipment will be able to get the help they need. The HELP Program began in 2005 and in 2022 alone, 2,461 families/individuals received assistance with an average of 205 families each month using equipment provided by the organization.
In addition to the HELP Program, Good News Project volunteers coordinate an electronics-recycling program and international humanitarian trips to the West Indies. Good News Project volunteers participate in projects that are good for environment and each other both here at home and abroad. In 2022, Good News Project volunteers gave 6,167 hours of their time. If you would like to volunteer with the Good News Project or would like to know more about this organization, call 715-843-5985 or visit www.goodnewswi.com.
