St. Louis HELP’s primary mission is to provide any individual in need with access to free Home Medical Equipment (HME) through our recycle and reuse program. Our secondary mission is to divert unnecessary waste from area landfills by providing a local resource for the reuse or recycling of unwanted HME.
In addition to collecting and distributing throughout the year St. Louis HELP will conduct a metro-wide Equipment Drive on Saturday, October 11, 2014 at twelve designated Walgreens sites. Annually, St. Louis HELP is serving over 5,000 persons and provides a local resource and advocate for waste reduction and recycling by diverting tons of unwanted medical equipment waste from area landfills.
Home Medical Equipment devices include, but are not limited to, manual and power wheelchairs, scooters, canes, crutches, walkers, shower chairs, tub transfer benches, grab bars, elevated toilet seats, portable commodes, wheelchair ramps, seating cushions, back supports/positioning devices, dressing aids, electric hospital beds, van lifts, lift chairs and stair lifts.
Each year St. Louis HELP diverts over 115.6 tons of waste from landfills and distributes over $2.1 Million in medical equipment ($1.26 Million to program beneficiaries and $892,000 to partner organizations).
Our program continues to be a solution to a problem faced by individuals and their caregivers in the metropolitan St. Louis area. The uninsured, underinsured, disabled, elderly and their caregivers are particularly at risk of facing barriers to accessing Home Medical Equipment. These vulnerable populations typically experience reduced access to health care services, demonstrating a continuing need for a strong, viable safety net. One of the greatest gaps in services with the recent cuts in Medicare and Medicaid funding and the dramatically increasing cost of private health insurance is accessing HME. St. Louis HELP is a non-profit organization – all donations are tax deductible.
For more information please call 314-567-4700 or visit www.stlhelp.org.