Effective August 1, 2008

Recycled & New

MOBILITY:

POWER CHAIRS

MANUAL WHEELCHAIRS

TRANSPORT CHAIRS

ROLLATORS

3 & 4 WHEEL SCOOTERS

2 WHEEL WALKERS

 BASKETS

CUSHIONS

TRAYS

CANES – QUAD CANES - CRUTCHES – FOREARM CRUTCHES

 DME:

BATHTUB TRANSFER BENCHES

COMMODES

SHOWER BENCHES

TOILET SAFETY FRAMES

TOILET SEAT RISERS

TRANSFER BOARDS

HOSPITAL BEDS:

2 – MOTOR WITH MATTRESS

3 – MOTOR WITH MATTRESS

BED SIDE RAILS

BED PADS

TRAPEZES

UNDER MATTRESS ASSIST RAILS

BEDSIDE ASSIST POLES

PIVOT & TILT OVER THE BED TABLES

 HOYER LIFTS:

SLINGS

 MISCELLANEOUS:

GRAB BARS

COOLING VESTS

EXERCISE PEDDLERS

HOSPITAL BED PROTECTION PADS

REACHERS

INCONTINENT  PADS

& More

Items Subject to Availability 

Call (425) 712-1807

FREE PICK UP OF DONATED ITEMS

TAX RECEIPTS ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST FOR DONATIONS & DONATED ITEMS

The Volunteers Who Make It Happen!

THE BIRTH & HISTORY OF THE MSHH DONOR CLOSET

          In October 1999 Bill Brayer had an idea that in just over 9 years has mushroomed into what is now known as the MSHH “DONOR CLOSET”, one of the largest resources – services of its kind in the country. Bill, who himself has had MS for over 56 years, is the founder/President of MS Helping Hands – MSHH, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) MS corporation licensed and registered in Washington State, is director of the MSHH Donor Closet and has been an MS support group facilitator for the past 20 years.

          Bill had been meeting weekly with a group of residents who had MS, at a nearby care/rehab center when one of the MS residents passed away at an early age. Her parents asked Bill to help find a home (someone who could use her items) for an electric wheelchair (just 6 months old), a manual wheelchair, an electric hospital bed and several other DME/Mobility items. Bill took the donated items to his home to store them in his garage until a needy person was found, which didn’t take that long after he sent out E-mails about them to his MS E-mail list. He soon received several requests for them.

          These items were recycled in the condition that they were donated to Bill in. But, in the meantime, others found out what Bill was doing and began donating more items for him to find homes for. In no time at all, Bill’s two-car garage was full, no place for his wife’s or his car so he was forced to find another place to store the items as they came in. The items were moved to a local storage facility and went from 2 - 5x10 storage units to 6 in less then 7 months. The first couple month’s storage were donated and then the storage facility had to charge rent for them. A sponsor came forward to pick up these new monthly rental charges which were going up with the addition of each additional unit. The Donor Closet was then forced to move to another more modern and less expensive  storage facility and into 5 larger – 10x20 storage units. He was given special rates due to the type of service being offered. Many of the items being donated had to be cleaned and repaired and new batteries were usually required for the electric wheelchairs and scooters. Within six months the Donor Closet was operating out of 12 – 10x20 storage units (2,400 square feet) which included a repair shop and was looking for more space.   

          Originally Bill thought this little project/idea wouldn’t last more then 3 months and there would be NO charge to recycle these donated items. There were virtually no out of pocket expenses, so the items would be given to people with MS free as is.  But, he soon saw a definite need for this type of resource - service and knew there was a solution, a named it the “Donor Closet” that would recycle DME/Mobility items to anyone who needed them.

          A newspaper article covering the story of this special resource helped to bring in additional DME/Mobility items and even volunteers who read the article and wanted to help expand this resource. These talented volunteers were capable of both electrical and mechanical repairs and they come in weekly to get items like the recycled scooters, electric and power chairs ready to recycle. A repair shop was established in one of the 10 x 20 storage units and equipped with tools and the other shop items that were needed. Other volunteers soon joined the Donor Closet to clean the items and help assist the recipients who came into the Donor Closet to get them.  A local battery suppler provided the new batteries needed at reduced pricing to help keep operating expenses down.

          Liability insurance and vehicle insurance required added to the cost of operating and maintaining the Donor Closet. The costs of operating the Donor Closet also included parts and cleaning supplies. So going from a free service out of Bill’s personal garage to a service that was now costing several thousand dollars a month to maintain, suggested minimum donations were required to keep this resource going.

          Bill had no idea how many used DME/Mobility items were just sitting in basements, garages, storage lockers, closets, or any place one could find to store them, as there seemed to be no one or place who wanted or would accept and recycle good used medical - mobility items. These are perfectly good items, some very expensive. Originally some of these items cost several thousand dollars each.

          Many donors had no way to get the items to the Donor Closet so a volunteer with his own van, as Bill was using his own small Honda Civic hatchback, volunteered to help Bill pick them up and he still continues to do it using his own van. Prior to this volunteer coming on board, a neighbor of Bill's often helped with his van.

          It was then that a generous local business woman who had MS herself donated her own 1997 Pontiac van to the Donor Closet with only 37,000 miles on it to help in picking up the many items that were now being donated.

          Bill found that people, not just with MS, were being denied these items by Medicare, Medicaid, DSHS, private insurance companies, and other social services agencies. These people were also undergoing financial hardships, living on low income, living on disability checks, some unemployed through no fault of his/her own, and couldn’t afford to buy them new. Many of them had fallen through the cracks of the social services system. It was then decided that the Donor Closet would provide this resource not just to people with MS as originally planned but to anyone who needed the items. No one is denied an item(s) if he/she can’t afford the suggested minimum donation. Arrangements can usually be made to cover the minimum donation requested.

          Regarding the minimum suggested donations asked, the donations left over after covering the monthly operating costs of the Donor Closet are transferred into a restricted "Financial Assistance Grant Fund Account" that is only used to provide "Financial Assistance Grants" to people with Multiple Sclerosis who reside in the State of Washington. Since October 1999, over $105,000 has been granted in  financial assistance grants through February 2008 and at least 10 to 15 requests for financial assistance are received every month. It should be noted that MSHH/The Donor Closet are 100% volunteers so there is no administrative costs.     

         From the days of being in Bill’s garage in October 1999 to now being located in 7,500 square feet (the Donor closet last moved in March of 2005  to under one roof in downtown Edmonds, WA and expanded in October 2008). The “DONOR CLOSET” has recycled over 56,000 DME/Mobility items. 16+/-volunteers currently maintain the “DONOR CLOSET,” open 6-days a week from 10:00am to 3:00pm Monday through Saturday, doing pickups, repairs, cleaning, and rebuilding some of the items to be sure they are in good, clean working condition when they leave the “DONOR CLOSET.”

          It is hard to believe that people couldn’t find anyone/anyplace to donate these usable items to or a place where they can be readily available for those who need them. Most of these items are left behind when someone passes away, usually in a care/rehab center, or nursing home. Some come from a person who has up-graded his/her equipment.

          There are some social service agencies that have a “LOAN CLOSET,” but MSHH doesn’t loan, sell, or rent these items; they take suggested minimum donations and the items then belong to the recipient as long as he/she needs them. If the items are ever returned to the “DONOR CLOSET” after they are no longer needed, they are recycled again as long as they are in good, clean, working condition.       Most recipients of these items have found that the suggested minimum donation they give for then is usually much less then the daily, weekly, or monthly rental charges for them if they were available to afford them and the items actually becomes theirs. Imagine getting a hardly used electric - power chair - or electric scooter that originally can cost up to several thousand dollars for a suggested minimum donation of $350.00 to $450.00.

          Because of some very generous grants ($31,000) received from the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (MSF) headquarted in Fort Lauderdale FL. and United Way of Snohomish County, Washington, the Donor Closet was able to purchased new items to meet the many requests for items often requested but aren’t often donated to meet the many requests for them.

          The donors of the DME/Mobility items get a tax right off receipt as MSHH (The “DONOR CLOSET”) is a non-profit 501(c) (3) corporation licensed and registered in the State of Washington.

          It is hard to believe that the Donor Closet is now over 9 years old and is still growing. The Donor Closet has  16+/- volunteers who maintain it by putting in about 200 man hours a week. Media coverage (radio – TV – newspapers) has helped to increase the number of donated items being received as well as people needing them. Items in the Donor Closet are NOT just limited for people with MS, but for anyone who needs them.

         The MSHH Board of Directors, Officers, Advisory Committee Members and the Donor Closet Volunteers all serve as volunteers and receive NO compensation or benefits. There are NO administrative costs, only operational costs.

          Bill has one saying he often refers to: “We are here to help the needy, NOT the greedy!” Bill feels there ought to be a Donor Closet in every city, as the need is there and so are the unused items. All it takes is someone to get the ball rolling. If anyone wishes to take on the challenge, Bill has written a “HOW TO DO” article on starting and maintaining a “Donor Closet” in your area. Just remember, it is an all volunteer resource.

           To start and maintain a “Donor Closet”, you don’t have to be as they say “As healthy as a horse”, as besides having MS, Bill is a diabetic, has had 2 heart attacks, has a pace maker, has had open heart surgery (4 way bypass) and a new aorta valve installed. He has overcame a 1 year serious bout with Endocarditis, which is a bacterial blood infection that attaches itself to an artificial heart valve and can be life threatening if not detected in time. If Bill can do it, anyone can.

          All is takes is determination, a commitment to make it work, and the people – volunteers to help! The personal satisfaction of doing something worthwhile – reaching out to others is beyond belief!

Highlights:

          When Bill first started the Donor Closet service in October 1999 out of his garage and moved it to the first storage facility, (ShurGuard Storage on Hwy 99, Edmonds, WA) a neighbor (Ralph Larson) would help Bill pick up and deliver large items in his van as Bill only had a 1996 Honda Hatchback.

          In early 2000 Roger Oliver volunteered his time and van to help with pickup and delivers as needed and now does it on a permanent basis, and you will usually find him at the Donor Closet 6 days a week.  

          After moving the Donor Closet to the second storage facility (Armadillo Self Storage just down the hwy south on Hwy 99), an article and picture that appeared in the Seattle Times newspaper in 2001 caught the attention of Craig Rubin who was thinking about starting a similar type service, but after he met with Bill, he became a permanent volunteer repairing and rebuilding scooters, electric and power wheelchairs. Soon after, Craig was joined by Bob Chisholm, who along with Craig are able to overhaul, repair and rebuild just about any scooter, electric or power wheelchair that is donated to the Donor Closet. They are both electrically and mechanically talented individuals.

         Gary Turcott volunteered some of his time to wait on recipients a couple times a week at the at the new location when it moved to the Armadillo Storage on HWY 99, Edmonds, WA site. When Bill had his heart attack and open hear surgery, in 2002 and 2003, Gary took over running the Donor Closet and enjoyed it so much, he became the full time Donor Closet Manager.  (Bill lost his job but remained on as the Donor Closet Director) 

           A friend of Bob Chisholm, Russ Johnson, heard about the Donor Closet and started coming in weekly to work on and clean the other major items such as the manual wheelchairs to have them along with other donated items ready to recycle.

           Mike Bemis volunteers to help mostly on Tuesdays, and other days as needed, and often helps Roger Oliver on major pickups and deliveries.

           After the big move in March of 2005 to the new location at 409 Howell Way, Edmonds, WA 98020, several new volunteers joined the staff.  Names of volunteers that have worked at the Donor Closet or still are include: Bill Echols, Jerry Miller, Anna Gonzales, Denise Donnelly, Dick Paschall, Richard Marin, Gene Borden, Dick Watts, and Walt Smith, Bruce Bolton and Matthew Waldron.

           The Donor Closet operates financially on the donations received for the recycled items and has remained in the black financially since mid 2000 and provides most of the funding for other MSHH corporate expenses, activities, events and also provides most of the funds for the Financial Assistance Grant Fund that since October 1999 has provided over $105,000 financial assistance grants to people with MS who reside in the State of Washington.

           The Donor Closet has received 5 - generous grants of $5,000 & 1 - $6,000 grant from MSF headquarted in Fort Lauderdale, FL and 1- $5,000 grant in 2005, from United Way of Snohomish County, WA to help purchase additional items, not often received but often requested, to have them available to those who need them.

        In February 2008, the Boeing Co. (Boeing Employees Community Fund) awarded MSHH a $46,070 grant designated to purchase a new 2007 Dodge Sprinter Van with a side door Ricon wheelchair lift for the MSHH Donor Closet to use to pickup and deliver durable medical equipment (DME) & mobility equipment (ME) as required.

           With all the news media coverage of the Donor Closet, there has been an increase in items being donated to the Donor Closet now that people who have them know where to take them. The number of patient requests has also increased because those who need them know where to go.        

           We have NO idea where this program is going or when it will end, but we hope we will be able to provide medical items to anyone who needs them for as long as we can……

        It should be noted that the Donor Closet has been recognized nationally 3 times, twice by MSF of Fort Lauderdale, Fl and more recently received Congressional recognition from congressman Jay Inslee in recognition of outstanding and invaluable service to the community.

………..William L. “Bill” Brayer – Founder/President of MS Helping Hands and Director of the MSHH Donor Closet.

           This is the basic text of an interview with Bill Brayer and was published in a local newspaper in 2005 and was up-dated in February 2008.