By Dominic Arthur, Senior Reporter.
Every year, a new group of students in the Physical Therapy Assistant program join the Physical Therapy Assistant Club which allows them to get hands-on experience by running a community-wide donation service that assists people in need.
Project SHARED – Students Helping Area Residents Exchange Devices – reaches out to the community for donations of assistive devices (walkers, wheelchairs, canes, etc.) to give to those that can’t afford them. The club is advised by PTA program coordinator Chris Hausbeck.
“If we can help change a person’s life by giving them a device for free, our work has been done. Helping people regain independence is what we are all about in Physical Therapy,” says Jamie Neu, a member of the PTA Club.
Neu says the goal of Project SHARED is to help residents-in-need get devices to help them perform everyday activities that they may be difficult to them.
“Being able to give back to the community in our little classroom really makes us feel like we can make a difference,” says Neu
The club doesn’t make house calls, but those in need of a device are often brought into PTA classrooms by family members or case workers to be fitted to make sure the device they’re receiving works properly.
“Any and all devices can be dropped off,” Neu says. “We go through many wheelchairs because that’s one of the devices a lot of people have been coming in for because usually insurance won’t pay for more than one assistive device. So if they get a walker, their insurance might not pay for a wheelchair.”
The club is always looking for donations. Assistive devices can be dropped off in the PTA labs in F-111 and F-113 on campus.
“I hope that we will be able to get a lot of donations and eventually have a larger room to have Project SHARED ran out of,” says Neu.
For questions or more information about Project SHARED, contact the PTA Club at 989-758-3621 or at projectshared@delta.edu.