American Wheelchair Mission

The American Wheelchair Mission is a non-profit organization with a goal to deliver brand new, free wheelchairs and mobility aids to physically disabled children, teens and adults throughout the world who are without mobility or the means to acquire a wheelchair. The American Wheelchair Mission will continue to change the lives of entire families with the gifts of hope, dignity, freedom and independence.

Since 2007, Knights across the U.S. have been having “Wheelchair Sunday” parish drives to raise funds for the delivery of wheelchairs.

Beginning with Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Pasadena, California where Fr. Gerard O’Brien coined the phrase “Wheelchair Sunday,” this program has spread to several states and is catching on quickly.

The first 5 parish drives in Southern California raised enough money to sponsor the delivery of 1,000 brand new wheelchairs and added more than 150 new Knights to the local membership.

The Knights at St. Mark the Evangelist in San Antonio, Texas held a parish drive and raised enough money to sponsor the delivery of 400 brand new wheelchairs to needy recipients in Nuevo Laredo, MX. The first shipping container of 280 wheelchairs was delivered by the Knights from St. Marks and across Texas in late February, and the second shipment will be delivered in Nuevo Laredo October 16-18, 2009. This is a hands-on project between Knights and clergy in the U.S. and Mexico that is changing lives of people in desperate need of mobility.

Council 7850 has been at the forefront of this humanitarian service campaign with its annual support. Below are images from a thank you card received this month from the American Wheelchair Mission. The images shown in this article clearly show that there are no limits to mobility challenges. The smiles of gratitude are priceless.