Mobility Changes Lives
According to the World Health Organization, of the estimated 80 million people in need a wheelchair, only 5–35% have access to one. In low-income countries, as few as 3% of people have access to the assistive products they need.
By fitting a person with a disability to a customized wheelchair, Wheels for the World provides hope for children and adults with disabilities in developing nations. They can attend school, go to work, or worship at their local church. And because we do not just drop off a wheelchair, each person is treated with care and dignity.
How it Works
Step 1: Collection
Each year dedicated Joni and Friends volunteers collect thousands of used manual wheelchairs and other mobility equipment that would otherwise end up in landfills.
Step 2: Restoration
Donated wheelchairs are restored to like-new condition by inmates in prison-based restoration centers located across the United States. This restoration process offers inmates the opportunity to make a difference for others and experience redemptive purpose in their own lives.
Step 3: Distribution
Each recipient receives a custom-fit wheelchair and hears the Gospel message. Recipients also receive a Bible in their language, get training in wheelchair use and upkeep, and have the opportunity to connect with a local Christ-honoring church.
By the time a wheelchair is restored, delivered, and custom-fitted to its new owner, it carries with it more than one story of God’s grace in action.
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”
2 Corinthians 5:20
You Can Join Us!
Join an outreach team to share the Gospel while hand-delivering and custom-fitting wheelchairs to people in less-resourced countries.
Make a difference by collecting, storing, or transporting wheelchairs to be restored.
Every wheelchair donated to Joni and Friends comes with a story. And as it is given, the original owner’s legacy continues, bringing help and hope to a person in need.
To fulfill our vision of a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ, Joni and Friends partners with like-minded organizations to provide mobility and the Gospel.
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