Making a Difference:
Tips for Volunteering and Donating in O&P

By Denise Napoli

Bob Maniere, CPO, C. Ped., is the owner and president of Comfort Prosthetics in Clinton Township, Mich., a small but expanding business. "We are not by any means a Hanger or one of these guys who are huge," he says. And, like many O&P business owners, Maniere often finds himself with a shelf full of unused, unwanted components, collecting dust. Victor Rivera is a Bolivian farmer and an amputee. A nearby Bolivian clinician offered to make him a wooden leg for $600, but Rivera didn't have the money. "He was completely down," says Maniere.

The two men connected through a local humanitarian organization that had international contacts. Maniere had Rivera send some basic measurements through the help of an English-speaking technician near Rivera's farm. In return, Maniere sent a prosthesis. Some time later, Maniere received a letter from Rivera thanking the practitioner for his donation. "He's very, very happy," says Maniere. "There are so many things in all prosthetic shops around our country that could be used somewhere."

Maniere is an average practitioner who donated to one of the numerous international humanitarian agencies in O&P. For this article, the Almanac interviewed practitioners, facility owners, manufacturers and charity coordinators, all of whom offered their guidance for volunteering and donating. Their best tip? Every little bit of time or money or components that you can give, no matter how small, helps. So if you've ever thought about donating or volunteering, read on, and start making a difference.

Getting started

Go global.
Almost all respondents say it's more fulfilling to donate or volunteer outside our country's borders. "My feeling is, go international. It's a great experience. You get an idea of what the world thinks of us," says Loren Ceder, a retired CPO and former facility owner whose volunteer efforts with the Prosthetics Outreach Foundation (POF) have taken him to Vietnam, Bangladesh and Sierra Leone.

Maniere also gives globally. Recalling the Bolivian farmer he was able to help, he says, "His farm is on the side of a mountain. There are no streets, there's no wheelchair pass…the need there is definitely greater than in America and the difficulties they face are tenfold."

For information on some specific global groups, see the sidebar, "Getting Started: Researching Organizations."

Research everything.
Make an informed decision before you decide where to travel or to whom you'll donate. Lisa Watkins, communications coordinator for Ohio Willow Wood, is the point person for Ohio Willow Wood's charitable giving, and all organizations looking for donations must first come before her. She says that a group seeking donations must provide her with a clear mission statement and a detailed plan for executing their goals. This way, Watkins is able to offer the most useful donations to the most organized groups.

The same principle applies to volunteers. Use the Internet. Talk to people who've gone before you. Al Ingersoll, a CP with Winkley Orthotics & Prosthetics located in Golden Valley, Minn., is a volunteer with Healing Hands for Haiti. Ingersoll recalls that when a colleague first proposed a volunteer trip to the troubled nation, he made sure he knew what he was getting into. "I did some checking on it and I spoke with someone else who had been there," he says.

Don't worry about the language barrier.
"I'm not very good at languages," concedes Ceder. But in Vietnam, his patients and their families were able to make up for his inability to communicate. With a few basic words and phrases—and some—Ceder got by.

Another option is to hire a translator. That's what Ingersoll's group does, even though most of the clinic staff speaks English, he says.

Language differences can seem like a big hurdle for donors, too, since clear articulation of needs and measurements is mandatory. In Maniere's experience, however, it hasn't been a problem. "Through their church or through the missionaries, you can always find someone who speaks the language," he says. 

In any case, it can't hurt to learn a few basic words. Just don't try to "point and shoot," says Ceder, relying on gestures without the aid of any translator at all.

Better safe than sorry.
While volunteers reported safe traveling, it doesn't hurt to read up on the current social environment, and to avoid solo travel. Ingersoll recalls a recent trip to Haiti during a tumultuous political climate. "We were there right before President Aristide was removed from office. The country was in turmoil. Our families were scared to death for us," he says. Still, Ingersoll reports that he has never felt unsafe.

Ceder agrees. "It's probably safer in Vietnam than in some parts of this country. Sierra Leone is quite friendly."

Despite these assurances, it is always better to be prudent. Travel in groups and pay attention to current events about the political situation in the country you plan to visit.

The technical stuff

Reuse and recycle.
The discontinued items that Ohio Willow Wood donates are greatly appreciated by most organizations. "We've donated from almost every product line we offer—feet, liners, components, knees," says Watkins.

But you don't have to be a huge company with warehouses full of components to make a difference. Maniere says his small, one-office practice doesn’t have any more resources than an average facility. Nevertheless, he always finds something to give.

"A lot of times we get a patient who maybe wears a knee for a month or two and doesn't really like it and will switch it, so that thing will sit on my shelf forever," says Maniere. "Why let these parts sit on my shelf when people can use them?"

With the help of a missionary or other English-speaking contact in the area, the needy amputee sends Maniere pictures of the limb and some basic measurements. "The only comments that we've ever gotten from everyone everywhere were, 'Thank you, thank you, thank you.' We've never gotten anyone who said, 'It didn't fit right and it didn't work.'"

Shipping can be an issue.
Donors and volunteers both report problems with international shipping, especially to countries with corrupt or unstable governments. "Always include a packing list," says Watkins. And make use of tracking services whenever possible, whether you're shipping domestically or not.

It's not only the donations that need to be shipped, though. Tools and other essentials often need to come via the mail. Ingersoll's trip was recently put on hold by the absence of a crucial item from a shipment to Haiti. "The entire system hinges on using plastic welding and the little welding tip did not show up in the shipment. So all the work that we did we were not able to complete," he says.

Expectations

Don't try to save the world.
No matter what, the people you help will be nothing but grateful, and that's the best you can hope for. And while several respondents complained of trips where they felt they could have been more productive, in the eyes of their patients, they'd done more than enough. "People really understand that if you can't fix something while you're there, it's okay as long as you're making the effort," said Ingersoll.

Maniere echoed that response. "That guy in Bolivia, he can't afford anything. He's going to lose his farm and can't feed his family. Should we try and put something together that will at least get him going? Is it perfect? No. Is it good and helpful? Absolutely." And though Maniere knows that his donations can't solve all of the problems out there, he's happy to be able to help in whatever way he can. "We're going to keep on dealing with the amputees that communicate with us through the missionaries. They say, 'Hey, we got this kid...'

"We start the program from there."

Denise Napoli is the staff writer for the O&P Almanac.