Agency update: Project MEND
Since 1992, Project MEND has been supplying home medical equipment and assistive technology to people in the San Antonio area who otherwise could not afford it. And they not only supply that equipment, they also repair it as needed.
The $10,000 Support Grant they received from Impact San Antonio in 2020 has helped keep that program running by funding tools, supplies, and gas and maintenance for their vans. It’s the second grant Project MEND has received from Impact SA. In 2017, they received a $100,000 High Impact Grant to buy two vans and a HubScrub medical equipment cleaning machine.
“Project MEND repairs or replaces any piece of equipment our program distributes,” said Kristy Walston, chief development officer for the agency, which accepts donations of medical equipment from the community. “We offer repair services to our clients at reduced costs, professionally sanitizing, inspecting and repairing personal pieces of medical equipment that we carry in our inventory.”
The agency originally had planned to use the Support Grant to help buy two new repair vans, but the high cost of vehicles due to Covid supply issues caused them to redirect the funding to the operation of the repair program.
Walston says Project MEND, which stands for Medical Equipment Network for those with Disabilities, has two specialists who have repaired 243 pieces of equipment so far this year. About 40 percent of those repairs were done curbside at the client’s home, and the rest were done at the agency’s headquarters at 5015 Wurzbach Road on the Northwest Side.
The agency moved to the new headquarters in January from their old site near downtown. The new facility has 16,000 square feet, compared with 10,000 square feet at their old location. Now, “we can combine program staff and our warehouse in one building to significantly enhance our clients’ experience and expand the numbers we serve,” Walston said. The increased space means they can house more inventory and have a larger repair area, she said.
“The new facility has a dedicated bus stop, a warehouse space specifically designed for cleaning and refurbishing equipment, and private meeting spaces where our clients can learn about other resources offered by state and local agencies,” she noted.
The new building also has a meeting space dedicated to veterans, which make up about a fourth of the agency’s clientele. It’s a place where they can meet privately with their case workers to make sure all their needs are being met.
“In addition, the meeting space allows Project MEND to be a referral source to connect our clients with resources to solve any other challenges they may face, including food shortages, utility and rental assistance, employment, counseling and housing,” Walston said.
Project MEND charges each client a $20 annual administrative fee. “They pay the fee once, no matter how many pieces of equipment they need or how many times they need service throughout the year,” Walston said. “We do not charge on a sliding scale, but clients are requested to assist with battery costs or mattresses for beds.” Those items must be purchased new, she said, unlike other equipment, which is refurbished.
Clients express their gratitude to the agency in various ways, Walston said. One client, Lexie, who received a walker/Rollator for severe back pain and gait problems, “wanted to buy us a pizza,” Walston said.
Project MEND is grateful to Impact San Antonio, whose funding “enables organizations like Project MEND to make life-changing differences for people who need it the most,” she said.
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