Medical Equipment & Wheelchair Assistance San Antonio | Project MEND

Project MEND is a San Antonio nonprofit that provides refurbished durable medical equipment and assistive technology to individuals of all ages living with disabilities, illness or mobility challenges who may be unable to afford the equipment they need or have gaps in insurance coverage. Through its Medical Equipment Reuse Program, Project MEND accepts donated medical equipment, evaluates it for safety and professionally refurbishes, repairs and sanitizes qualifying equipment before making it available to people in need.


Available medical equipment may include wheelchairs, walkers, rollators, shower and bath equipment, bedside equipment and other durable medical equipment, depending on current inventory. Individuals requesting medical equipment must provide a prescription or Letter of Medical Necessity from a health care provider. After submitting the required documentation, clients can contact a Project MEND Client Care Specialist to complete the intake process and determine whether appropriate equipment is available.


Project MEND also provides medical equipment repair services to help individuals continue safely using essential mobility and assistive equipment. Through its Assistive Technology program, Project MEND may provide financial assistance toward specialized equipment that is not available through its refurbished equipment inventory. When funding is available, assistance can help with specialized medical equipment, assistive technology, prosthetic or orthotic devices and other individualized needs.


Project MEND also accepts donations of gently used medical equipment from individuals, nursing homes, medical equipment companies and community organizations. Donated equipment that meets safety requirements can be refurbished and reused to help another person regain mobility and independence. San Antonio residents who need a wheelchair, walker or other durable medical equipment can contact Project MEND to learn about current inventory, eligibility, costs and the steps required to request equipment.

PROJECT MEND

5015 Wurzbach Road

San Antonio, Texas 78238

Phone: (210) 223-6363 ext. 3

Fax: (210) 223-6441

Project MEND

Cathy Valdez is the CEO of Project MEND. It was formed by Murlin Johnson and became a nonprofit 501(C)3 in 1993. Mr. Johnson did a lot of volunteering and heard social workers state the need for wheel or power chairs for individuals who could not afford them. He decided to give his unused equipment away, but made sure the used equipment first met State Health Standards. The Health State Department has specific rules that Project MEND meets in order for them to provide used medical equipment.


Cathy stated that donated medical equipment can be contaminated, so they have to appropriately sanitize and disinfect equipment before it can be provided to a client. Later, Mr. Johnson purchased a warehouse to store and clean used equipment and in January 2022, Project MEND built a new location at 5015 Wurzbach Road. The new location brought all departments under one roof. It is 16,000 square feet with a donation area, where monthly there are over 1,000 pieces of equipment donated.

First, the equipment is determined whether it is safe and if so, it is sent for repair, sanitization and disinfection and when it passes all necessary tests, it is sent to a ready-to-go area, where equipment is given out to customers daily and can average up to 900 pieces a month. Depending on the client’s needs, Project MEND could give 25 wheelchairs to one organization or give four different pieces of equipment to one client. They service over 1,900 people annually. Besides their current location, they have a donation site in New Braunfels and people can schedule equipment to be picked up from their home when donating large or multiple items. Project MEND can also schedule deliveries of large or heavy equipment that may need to be setup in the client’s home. Cathy stated the client needs a doctor’s prescription to request equipment, because they do not have medical professionals to prescribe for a client’s specific needs. To learn more, donate or volunteer, visit www.projectmend.org or call (210) 223-6363.