Volunteer Locally with Wheels for the World™

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

Matthew 25:40

Volunteers at a Wheels for the World outreach

Collect Wheelchairs

Partner with Joni and Friends, local churches, businesses, and civic organizations to collect wheelchairs in your community.

A wheelchair and a shipping container

Store Wheelchairs

Provide space to store donated wheelchairs and other mobility equipment prior to restoration.

FedEx trucks with wheelchairs being loaded into them

Transport Wheelchairs

Help transport mobility equipment between collection sites, storage facilities, and restoration centers.

Volunteer Roles

A Wheelchair Collection Coordinator serves on the International Team – part of Joni and Friends Area Teams – working alongside Area Ministry staff to source storage opportunities. Wheelchair Collection Coordinators aid in recruitment and lead Wheelchair Collections Members, ensuring mobility equipment meets quality standards, and oversees inventory and storage.

Required Skills:

  • Heart for the missions of Joni and Friends
  • Demonstrates enthusiasm for sharing the Gospel
  • Ability to build, train, and develop a team of volunteers
  • Willingness to serve where needed
A Wheelchair Collection Member serves on the International Team – part of Joni and Friends Area Teams – and fills various roles based on their abilities and skillset, demonstrating flexibility and a willingness to serve where needed. Wheelchair Collection Members may assist with equipment pickup, transporting collected items to shared storage facilities, and participate in local wheelchair collection and load events.

Required Skills:

  • Willingness to serve where needed
  • Heart for the missions of Joni and Friends
  • Demonstrates enthusiasm for sharing the Gospel

Pray Over the Wheelchair Restoration Process

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

2 Corinthians 5:17

Donated wheelchairs and other items are shipped to Joni and Friends restoration programs located in U.S. prisons. There, inmates get to serve people in need by repairing, restoring, and loading the equipment for transport abroad. Inmates serving with Wheels for the World often report a new sense of purpose and hope as they work for the good of people with disabilities worldwide.

“God’s helped me help other people now—basically what I should have been doing in the first place. Wheels for the World has made such a big impact on my life. It’s a great feeling knowing I’m able to help other people.” – Javier, inmate

Joni and Friends also restores wheelchairs at our international wheelchair restoration center in El Salvador. This center trains local people living with disability to restore used wheelchairs to like-new condition, reducing shipping costs and creating skills for employment opportunities.

Volunteer in your area.

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