Tracy firefighters help load hospital beds donated by New Hope Care Center into a container bound for Carribean island nations. Courtesy photo
The beds had been donated by New Hope Care Center, which is replacing beds adjusted by hand with beds adjusted electrically. In addition to the beds, 45 end tables and a dozen over-bed tables were loaded into the container.
John Eaton, a Rotarian from Shelton, Wash., has launched the project to provide 650 hospital beds to the Caribbean nations from convalescent facilities in Shelton and three cities in California — Oroville, Lakeport and Tracy. All the facilities are affiliated with Evergreen Convalescent Care, said Eaton, who was on hand Tuesday as the container was loaded at New Hope Care Center.
Once loaded, containers from the four sites are being trucked to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for sea shipment to the Caribbean. Although plans are still being formulated, as many as 3,000 beds could be shipped to the island nations in the next several months, Eaton said.
A FANTASTIC organization to contact that may be able to help you is "Food for the Poor" out of Coconut Creek, Florida (just 30 minutes from Port Everglades.) Food for the Poor is a non-profit that did 1.5 Billion USD in Humanitarian Aid last year alone, and is feeding up to 200,000 Haitians per day out of their 40,000 ft2 warehouse on Haiti.
FYI: Oroville looks like we are sending about 150 beds down next week for containerization and then off to Port Everglades and then Haiti or Jamaica. Thank you Oroville Sunrise Rotary and Oroville Fire Department : )
I look forward to possible future projects with Oroville and Tracy Fire Departments and Rotary Clubs in the "Fire Trucks for Guatemala Project," as we move beyond the planning stage.
John Eaton, President
Rotary Club of Shelton