ECCHO Connects People with Deep Needs
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ECHHO volunteer driver Jon helps Pat make it to her medical appointments [/caption]
News by Scott France
A little-known nonprofit organization in Port Townsend provides lifesaving services through mundane ways. The Ecumenical Christian Helping Hands Organization (ECHHO) provides rides for area residents to medical appointments and other essential services, as well as lends out durable medical equipment, raising patients’ capacity for self-care, autonomy, and dignity in their homes.
The ECHHO Operations Manager Kit Malone estimates that the organization’s volunteer drivers provide approximately 52,000 miles of rides to and from medical and essential services this year, locally, as well as to Seattle, Port Angeles, Bremerton, and Tacoma. This year,
ECHHO will provide approximately 60,000 miles of rides, she said.
“Most of our people do not have either the physical ability to drive nor do they have someone to assist them,” Malone said.
ECHHO receives donated medical equipment such as hospital beds, walkers, wheelchairs, crutches, bath seats, and toilet risers that people need when they get out of surgery or other medical procedures.
“To get to leave the hospital, you have to have something in place before they discharge you,” Malone said. “So ECHHO’s been providing that for the community for all these years.’
ECHHO gets far more medical equipment than it needs. “So we have to decide whether we can use the equipment and repair it if necessary, or if it can go out to the tribes in Neah Bay, or maybe down to the Knights of Columbus Helps in Bremerton that has a huge equipment library, take it to Peninsula Recycling or the transfer station if it’s not repairable. As it costs a lot to take things to the transfer station, we try to take only equipment that we can lend out.”
“We’ve become a clearing house, and we love that role because it keeps us engaged in the community,” Malone said. “Our space is a bit smaller now, so we try very hard to keep our stock a bit newer and in the best condition possible. We thank the people of Port Townsend for how many people bring us clean equipment in good working condition.”
ECCHO is currently seeking locations to store equipment in Port Ludlow, Quilcene and Brennan so that it can expand its reach in the community.
The staff of four part-time employees stay on their toes with constant ride coordination, equipment intake, and storage challenges in their small storefront, and the need for frequent repairs of the medical equipment.
“Our goal is to gain some sort of legacy property where we are given a barn or a facility that is insulated and heatable where we can work out of that isn’t far from the center of town with a level entry,” Malone said.
ECHHO is working on a system to allow clients to see and order equipment online, enabling the ECHHO staff to pull the appropriate piece, repair it if necessary, and put the person’s name on it and set it outside their storefront for the client to pick up. Malone hopes to have the system in place by this Fall.
“We don’t draw any boundaries around who we serve, or what we provide them,” Malone said. “Everybody is welcome. We want to get them with a smile, at one of the toughest moments of their lives.”
”It’s the difference between life and death to many of them.” Malone said. “Because if they crack one more bone when trying to get around their home or get to their car, and try to drive when they can’t, if they don’t get to dialysis or to their cancer treatments, they could suffer tremendously or possibly lose their life. Almost all of our people do not have either the ability or energy to drive or a person to assist them.”
ECHHO anticipates an increase in local drives when Jefferson Healthcare completes the expansion of its cancer unit. Malone also expressed concern that cuts to Medicaid and potentially Medicare will likely increase demand.
“I’m concerned that we’re going to have more people than ever looking for free equipment and being treated at home. If they don’t have Medicaid, some can’t even go into rehab. That means they’re going to be using home durable medical equipment more and more.”
The organization also provides rides for essential services, such as visiting the pharmacy or grocery store, when clients are unable to get there on their own. ECHHO does not offer delivery services, but several pharmacies in town provide delivery, as do Safeway and QFC.
“The drivers are remarkable, and sometimes drive clients out of the county. For long procedures, sometimes one driver will drive a client to Silverdale, and another will bring them back.”
For more information about ECHHO or to donate, visit their website at https://www.echhojc.org.
