2008 Stories

“PET (Personal Energy Transportation) Bike.
Note the man’s “skinny” legs & muscled arms

24 PETs are ready to be shipped to Sierra Leone, Africa, in 2008

Picture and portion of January 2008 report from Missionary Beth Ferrell who had lived in Sierra Leone. We had shipped her PETs while she was commissioned there. Her present position is the Mission Interpreter in Residence (MIIR) in the North Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church. As per her report, we recently shipped 24 more PETs to her, which are waiting for shipment overseas. There are many in Africa who could benefit greatly from having a PET because of Polio.

(child size with untreated, painted wood)	(adult PET built with treated, double kiln dried wood)

January 24, 2008

Mel, 2 happy PET recipients in Cartago, Costa Rica.
 
Adios,
Mark Richard
Director of Operations
Hope Haven International Ministries”

In December we loaded out 85 boxed PETs and 25 used wheelchairs into a truck for Hope Haven, one of our mobility distribution partners, in IA. Some of them were to go to Ecuador and Costa Rica along with their refurbished mobility devices (walkers, wheelchairs, etc.). We are now gathering 144 PETs to fill a 53’ truck for them to send to Tanzania along with their other mobility devices.

Child size PETs – We build 2 to 3 a week at a ratio of 1 to 10 adult PETs. Of course, older/bigger children receive an adult PET. We build them differently since they go to younger children. A group in O’Fallon, MO, builds and paints the wooden cargo/seat area and deliver. (A story on their contribution was in a December issue of the St. Louis Post Dispatch.) Other volunteers around the US make the specialty PET parts like brakes, under carriage steel frame, etc. We use donations to buy off the shelf items like wheels, tires, bearings, etc.; run the shop; and pay for any shipping costs. Larry in our Columbia shop assembles. Then they are shipped out as requests and transportation come together.