The Center of Owensboro-Daviess County and Louisville-based global health non-profit SOS partnered to provide 16 local organizations with nearly $50,000 worth of medical supplies and equipment to help serve the community’s homeless, children and mothers, pregnant women, families in need, and more.
Erica Wade, The Center’s Executive Director, said they work to be the connector between nonprofits throughout the community.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to help our community partners because the money that they are saving with these essential supplies is that much more money they can put into their programming. If we can help them focus their programming by offsetting some of those expenses that they have as an organization that all of us battle with, then we’re happy to do that,” Wade said.
SOS provides supplies for organizations throughout the Commonwealth. President Denise Sears said that partnering with the Owensboro market has been a wish of hers for several years, and she’s thankful for the partnership with The Center.
Equipment included wheelchairs, hygiene products, and more deemed surplus from hospitals and other providers. Local organizations benefitting from the supplies included Sebree Elementary School, The Opportunity Center, Lighthouse Recovery, and RiverValley Behavioral Health.
RVBH Site Manager Sheila Kessinger said the organization ended up walking away with more than 700 pounds of diabetic supplies, walkers, crutches, and several other materials to take to their clients.
“This material is very crucial. We have a lot of people who are coming to us to use these chairs, the walkers. So this is very important for us,” Kessinger said.
This is the third time SOS has delivered to Owensboro with help from The Center.
“This is for whoever needs it,” Wade said. “We offered this to about 240 organizations initially, to let them know that it was coming. So it just depends on who needs what when.”
