On February 5, 2024, Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter #63 (Clermont County) received a grant of $2,336.80 from the DAV Department of Ohio to continue their Surplus Medical Equipment Distribution (MED) Program.
The check was presented by Raymond Hutchinson, who is a member of the DAV Department’s Finance Committee.
“The Surplus MED Program was started by Commander Smith two years ago,” explained the Finance Committee Member, “and it has been highly successful in aiding disabled members in the Clermont County area.”
Commander Smith explained the purpose of the Surplus MED Program was based upon a two-fold need expressed by spouses and surviving families of veterans.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides medical equipment, such as hospital beds and electric-powered mobility chairs, to disabled veterans.
However, when there is no longer a need for the VA medical equipment, the VA does not reclaim the used VA equipment. It is up to the veterans’ families to dispose of the used medical equipment.
“The Chapter saw the need to help veterans’ families in removing the VA medical equipment,” said Smith, “and also the opportunity to renovate, repair and refurbish the equipment and provide it to needy veterans.”
Chapter #63 learned this process from Chapter #3 (Capitol City) in Columbus. “Tom Cunningham, the Chapter #3 Commander, pioneered the effort and greatly assisted our Chapter in starting the Program,” explained Smith.
“Tom, and his Chapter #3 members, were collecting the surplus VA medical equipment, refurbishing the equipment with new batteries or parts,” continued Smith, “and delivering the equipment to not only his central Ohio area but as far away to veterans in West Virginia and Indiana.”
Commander Smith made the initial request to the DAV Department of Ohio Headquarters for $2,336.80, which was to be utilized for the storage rent for two (2) buildings for a ten (10) month period (from March to December of 2024).
One building is used for the storage of the medical equipment and the second building is used as a workshop for refurbishing and renovating equipment.
“The Chapter was blessed in 2023,” explained Smith, “because the Calvin Presbyterian Church of Amelia, before it officially closed, provided the Chapter with a grant of $2,964.00 to continue the Medical Equipment Distribution Program.”
The DAV Chapter utilized the Calvin Presbyterian Church’s Grant to purchase a mobility-powered wheel chair for a disabled Vietnam veteran and the remaining funds toward the rental fee of the storage buildings.
“In our correspondence to the DAV Department Headquarters, we provided a listing of the medical equipment we collected and distributed to needy veterans,” noted Smith, “along with a statement that the grant was to be used for storage rent for the ten-month period of 2024.”
“Chapter #63’s requesting letter was received by the DAV Department’s Finance Committee and we decided to fund this request,” said Finance Committee Member Hutchinson, ”because it aligned directly with the DAV Mission Statement of empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity.”
“Chapter #63 has done a good job with the Surplus Medical Equipment Distribution Program and the DAV Department Headquarters want to assist them continuing with this Project!” concluded Hutchinson.