Donated by Mobility 4 Vets Wheelchair Shop
By Angie Landsverk
When volunteers for a local organization noticed a scooter was among the items on the Waupaca Area Public Library’s wish list, they took care of that need.
The Mobility 4 Vets Wheelchair Shop Inc. donated a scooter to the library a couple weeks ago.
“I got the wish list in my mail. I talked to the guys about it,” said Alan Kjelland, who is one of the organization’s volunteers.
Gene Antoniewicz, who is also one of its volunteers, saw the list as well.
“I put it on the wish list,” Library Director Peg Burington said, “because I heard from several patrons they were unable to use the library.”
Navigating the library is a problem for some, she said.
A few years ago, the Waupaca Lions Club donated walkers to the library, she said.
“We do have a lot of use of the walkers,” she said.
The walkers are located near the library’s entrance, and the scooter may now be found there as well.
Burington said some patrons use the walkers as shopping carts when they have a lot of books.
The scooter has a basket on it, and Kjelland said a brand new one like the model donated would cost more than $2,000.
Located at 270 Grand Seasons Drive, the Mobility 4 Vets Wheelchair Shop opened in mid 2012.
A group founded the organization following the closing of the Disabled American Veterans Wheel Chair Shop about six months earlier in King.
All but one of the founders of the Mobility 4 Vets Wheelchair Shop were veterans.
Today, there are 13 volunteers.
In addition to Kjelland and Antoniewicz, they are Chuck Posnanski, Frank Shafer, Harvey Zwicke, Jack Huse, Jim Peterson, Ken Tourville, Mike Sullivan, Pete Petrick, LeAnn Chase, Jim Reas and Jim Zwicke.
While their priority is veterans and their families, they help anyone in need of help.
The shop is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays.
They may be contacted at [email protected] or at 715-281-6175.
The shop includes space for doing repairs and also room to show available equipment.
They have used scooters, wheelchairs and walkers and also accept donations.
“Everything on it is used,” Kjelland said of the scooter donated to the library. “We have quite an inventory right now. It was probably the best of the lot. We picked it out and gave it to the library.”
He said the shop has a lot of chairs on the floor at the moment.
It sees a big demand for scooters and currently has about five of them.
Kjelland estimates about 130 motorized chairs and scooters were donated to the nonprofit organization this year to date.
Families often donate equipment to them after someone passes away, he said.
Antoniewicz said some of the equipment they receive is almost brand new.
They were happy to donate a reconditioned to the library.
“It went out on the wish list. Within two weeks, we had it,” Burington said. “It’s a really nice addition to the library.”