PROJECT MEND

Founded in 1993, Project MEND has provided professionally refurbished and sanitized medical equipment and other assistive technology items to individuals of all ages who are living with a disability and/or illness in South Texas. We complete our impactful mission through three service provisions: Medical Equipment Reuse, Assistive Technology, and Repair Services.

Through Medical Equipment Reuse, Project MEND collects donations of used medical equipment from assisted living centers, rehab clinics, medical equipment companies, partner agencies, and individuals. After being evaluated for its safe use, the equipment is professionally refurbished, repaired if necessary, and sanitized to the State standard. Once available, Project MEND distributes the equipment to individuals in need who present with a prescription (Rx) or Letter of Medical Necessity from their licensed healthcare provider. Depending on availability, clients usually receive their medical equipment item one to two days after completing the intake process. A major challenge Project MEND is constantly facing is the lack of donated medical equipment. We cannot distribute what we do not have, and we have an ever-growing waiting list of clients in desperate need of medical equipment.

Assistive Technology allows Project MEND to provide items not available for immediate distribution from our inventory and often more specialized/unique to the individual in nature. Through established partnerships with various medical equipment and assistive technology companies, prosthetic and orthotic agencies, and labs, we provide a maximum of $1000 per person (dependent on available funding), paid directly to our vendors, for the purchase of these items.

While Project MEND repairs or replaces any piece of equipment our program distributes, we have recently begun offering Repair Services to our clients, at reduced costs, professionally sanitizing, inspecting, and repairing personal pieces of medical equipment.

Project MEND has plenty of volunteer opportunities as well, from sanitizing donated medical equipment to helping with events to special projects, we are always seeking an extra hand when it comes to executing our mission!

There are hundreds of agencies serving the lack of financial stability, nutrition, housing, and emotional needs of this vulnerable population, Project MEND is the ONLY agency filling the critical need for medical equipment for South Texans. On average, Project MEND provides services to 1200 individuals living with a disability annually, serving underrepresented populations, Veterans, those living below the Federal Poverty Limit, and those without insurance or experiencing gaps in their coverage. Project MEND also diverts over 120 tons of medical equipment from landfills per year, keeping unsanitary and/or biohazardous equipment out of the hands of untrained individuals, providing cost-savings to the community, and simultaneously promoting health, self-sufficiency, and improved mobility for those we serve.