On the Loading Dock – 2016
2016 will be busy with eight containers on the schedule. Three were sent in the spring: Nigeria, April 9, Cambodia May 14, and Ukraine June 11. Another, destined for Somalia will be loaded on July 9 followed by a shipment to Paraguay, loading on August 6. The schedule continues with a container to the Philippines loading August 27, and one heading for Ghana on September 17. The final shipment of the year is scheduled for Kenya, October 15. The process for sending a shipment may take up to a year but IHC volunteers are always eager to respond to inquiries from potential sponsor groups interested in supporting a container. Container loading is a methodical and inventive process. Every inch of space is used—small boxes and parcels are packed within pieces of equipment and every possible crevice between items is filled.
Chain of Supply
IHC is always in need of products. To meet the demand, IHC requires a continuous supply of usable donated medical supplies and equipment. Nursing homes, hospitals, and individuals can all make significant contributions — large or small. Call us if you know of any usable items – call 204-774-1102. And please, spread the word!
What IHC Doesn’t Do
IHC does not fundraise We do not seek sponsors and do not solicit donations. However, donations are welcomed and any received are applied to specific projects. Some revenues are raised through recycling of metals and rental of unusable or obsolete pieces for use on movie sets. IHC does not charge recipients for materials. All equipment and supplies are provided free of charge. Third party sponsors only pay the cost of transportation to the recipient community. Partnerships, such as that with Putt’s Transfer who assists with loading containers, are invaluable and critical to continued success. IHC does not handle medications or drugs All items made available are non-pharmaceutical. IHC has no paid staff Volunteers undertake all warehousing, inventory and preparation of materials for shipping. Volunteers help load containers. Volunteers manage and prepare the documentation necessary to meet customs regulations and any legal requirements. On occasion, volunteers have travelled on their own…
Letters from the Field – 2015
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A Few Facts
Here are fifteen fast factoids about IHC: Number of people who began collecting usable items in 1997 = 1 Number of founding members = 11 Date of the first meeting = August 16, 2001 Number of IHC volunteers today = 92 Number of volunteer hours annually = 6,000—10,000 Number of third party volunteer helpers = too many to count Amount of donated storage space at inception = 1 corner of the family garage Number of square feet of donated warehouse space today = 40,000 Number of shipped 40-foot container loads = 70 (+ two 20-foot containers) & more planned Number of smaller deliveries on pallets, in cartons, or suitcases = hundreds Number of tonnes of materials delivered = 800+ Number of beds delivered = more than 2,000 Number of recipient countries to date = 44 Value of goods delivered = priceless Number of people served = millions
Caring in Cambodia
Angkor Gold Corporation recently sponsored a shipment to Cambodia and Delayne Weeks, Vice President Social Responsibility, filed a full report on the impact of the delivery. Her experience is a typical illustration of the effect a shipment of equipment and supplies from IHC can have in a community. Delayne was invited to observe a team of about 40 medical professionals in Phnom Penh who, as volunteers, take monthly clinics to some of the poorest parts of Cambodia. She reported this well-organized clinic offered twenty stations for registration, general health review, and then referral to one of the many specialists; an ophthalmologist with at least five optician assistants; an ear nose and throat specialist; a pediatrician; a dental room with fifteen mobile chairs and two power packs for fillings, extractions, scaling and cleaning, with as many as twenty graduating students on site assisting; a cardiologist using portable echo-cardiograms and ultrasound; a…
People, People, People
It’s caring people that make IHC a success. Many thousands of volunteer hours are provided each year by fewer than a hundred people. Volunteers are involved in receiving, sorting, inventorying, and repairing equipment. Some confirm donations of supplies and equipment from hospitals and other health facilities. Others pack items in preparation for shipment. Still more help load the shipping containers. IHC volunteers come from all walks of life. Some have been with us since inception. Their contributions to the organization and support for IHC’s mission is invaluable, as evidenced by grateful recipients. The commitment is not demanding but is enormously rewarding. Join us and you will soon see why!
Letters from the Field – 2010
Nothing speaks as clearly as the words of our recipients … [testimonial_rotator id=125 format=list]
Letters from the Field – 2008
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