Roanoke, VA - March 6, 2007 - The Foundation for Rehabilitation Equipment and Endowment (FREE), based in Roanoke, has just received a portion of a U.S. Department of Education grant that will help the non-profit group provide recycled equipment to underserved adults.
The three-year grant is maintained by the Rehabilitation Services Administration and Assistant Secretary John Hager.
FREE partnered with the Virginia Assistive Technology System to write and submit the proposal in September 2006. The grant was a competitive grant open to the nation for recycling assistive devices. One of the 10 grants was awarded to the Virginia Assistive Technology System through the Department of Rehabilitation Services to develop a network of assistive device recyclers throughout the Commonwealth. This network, Virginia Assistive Technology Network (VATNet) will receive $561,773 over the next three years. FREE and its chapters will receive at least $215,178 of the total amount.
"Recycling rehab equipment includes sanitizing, inspecting and repairing items, such as wheelchairs, power chairs, tub benches, and more," Robin Ramsey, executive director of FREE, said. "We then can give that equipment to individuals who cannot afford it to improve their personal independence."
FREE has assisted over 850 individuals in southwest Virginia since 2001. FREE is locally run and operated by mostly volunteers throughout southwest Virginia, with offices in Roanoke, Martinsville and Lynchburg.
"The services provided by FREE are life changing," Ramsey said. "Individuals served by FREE live with physical disabilities and rehab equipment has helped them make notable improvements in independence and the ability to live safely at home. Recipients have also noted significant decreases in falls and emergency room visits related to injuries from falls."
For more information about FREE, call 540-777-4929 or visit FREE.
