“Everyone we worked with was super professional. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience. [The team] was amazing. Donations are very rare. So a donation of this size? We are so thankful.”
— Brady Powers, CEO, Help the World Foundation
When people hear the word “dispose”, they naturally think of throwing away unwanted trash or garbage. When it comes to GWS Healthcare projects, this word is misleading: we aim to avoid the landfill at all costs with it asset disposition.
GWS Healthcare designs disposition strategies that you can feel good about, prioritizing green initiatives and community service opportunities. As told by a Senior Project Manager for GWS Healthcare, this is the story behind the story of how we connected Parkview Wabash Hospital with Help the World Foundation – and in the process, outfitted spaces and programs to serve the underserved.
As part of the disposition strategy that we created for Wabash Hospital, we placed an ad for the available furniture in Charitable Advisors Newsletter, which reaches 14,000 non-profit organizations. The bulk of the donatable product from the 120,000 square foot facility went to Help the World Foundation, an organization offering programs and services in the areas of housing, employment, and wellness to those in need. The foundation serves those with mental and physical disabilities, the homeless, and veterans in 34 counties in Indiana. The growing demand for services, compounded by the fact that most programs are funded by state or federal funds or grants, meant that the foundation’s growth plans could benefit from some help. These plans fell broadly into three categories: new facilities, existing programs, and new programs. The Wabash donation touched all three of these areas:
New facilities: Several new in-patient treatment centers, and two out-patient Medical Addiction Treatment centers, received a variety of furniture for male and female dorms and transitional housing, including everything from a salad bar station to a treadmill. The donations assisted in the creation of workout facilities and programs, a kitchen and cafeteria, and more.
The foundation also moved its corporate operations to a larger building, and the office furniture, conference tables, filing cabinets, and artwork furnished 17 offices.
Existing programs: The two newest Adult Day services programs will be completely outfitted by the donated furniture, artwork, and office furniture and supplies. Furniture will help house social workers, case managers, support team members, and nurses. Lobby furniture will assist program attendees who are prone to seizures, and cafeteria tables and chairs will be used for everything from art classes to meals. Because of the donations, the foundation can offer classes in everything from cooking, cleaning, hygiene, money management, problem solving, and self-expression to up to 60 people daily in each location.
Desks from the donation will be given to the Employment Services team, who help with goal-setting, resume building, volunteer experiences, mock interviews, and interview support. A mock interview area will also be set up with donated furniture and office equipment to add a realistic feel to the process.
New programs: The new Financial Literacy program, which will serve over 4,100 people per year, will use the donated white boards, bulletin board, desks, and tables. Focusing on youth, adults, older adults, and those interested in small business, the program focuses on education, empowerment, and self-sufficiency.
It was especially fulfilling to hear that Help the World plans on donating anything that they aren’t able to use to another organization in need – so the good deeds pay forward.
I can’t imagine how many lives will be changed as a result of the work that we do. To know that this project in particular will give countless people a chance – or a second chance – to better their lives makes me proud to be part of GWS Healthcare.
“Help the World is so grateful for the generous donation of lobby furniture, office furniture, medical equipment, office supplies, artwork, and more. Each trash can, wall clock, medical bed, and exam bed will be put to good use in serving someone in the underserved population. The donation is so large and vast that the financial support that the hospital has given to Help the World will allow us to put the costing of purchasing those items back into our programs and teams to ensure that we are providing the best for the individuals we serve. Thank you, from all of us here at Help the World, and from the future clients we will serve due to your generous donation.”
— Brady Powers, CEO, Help the World Foundation
