ARLINGTON, Neb (KMTV) — This past summer Nancy Hilgenkamp’s mother faced a situation that many of us have had to deal with ourselves or with a family member.
“My mom this last summer went through a fractured leg and we needed a wheelchair, and we needed a walker and we needed a shower chair,” said Hilgenkamp.
All of those specialized pieces of medical equipment unfortunately come with a high price.
Even basic wheelchairs can cost anywhere from $150 to $400 and are often times only used for weeks to maybe a few months during recovery.
But that’s where the congregation at St Paul’s Lutheran Church just outside of Arlington have been stepping in to help their neighbors make sure they have the equipment they need.
“My friend Susan Green at St Paul’s Lutheran Church had reached out to me and felt like god was leading her to start a program of loaning out medical equipment to those who couldn’t afford it,” said Cheryl Kanoy, another member of the St Paul’s Lutheran Congregation.
Susan’s idea quickly grew into a small stockpile of wheelchairs, walkers, bathroom fixtures and other necessities.
“Let’s just call it the HOME program, Helping Others with Medical Equipment,” said Kanoy.
HOME has quickly grown to serve not just the St Paul’s Lutheran congregation but the entire area around Arlington from Fremont to Blair and in just the last year they have helped dozens of their neighbors with more than 100 medical devices, all at little to no cost to the patient.
“I think our last count was 122 different pieces of equipment that were borrowed this last year that helped 67 different people,” said Hilgenkamkp.
The program wouldn’t be able to run without the community behind it.
It’s run entirely by volunteers and through donations and St Paul’s Lutheran is always accepting donations of funding or equipment.
In a couple of weeks HOME is hosting a fun run/walk fundraiser, it’s a great way to support the program that Hilgenkamp says is already inspiring neighbors to help neighbors through their tough times.
“They have just come back and said, when im finished with this or if I know someone then we will lend you and donate something to you,” said Hilgenkamp.
The HOME fun run/walk event will take place on Saturday, September 28th. Registration opens at 7:15AM and the race will begin at the RVR Sports Complex at 8:00 AM.
If you find yourself in need of the HOME program you can reach out to St Paul's Lutheran Church at 402-478-4278. Leave a message with your name, phone number and what equipment you are looking for and a volunteer with the program will get back to you within 1 business day to walk you through the details.
