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In their garage, Ed and Annie Butchart, refurbished and repaired wheelchairs to donate to those who couldn’t afford them. Jack Ballard, then senior minister of Mount Carmel Christian Church, caught wind of their charitable efforts and offered financially back them. On November 10, 1987, then known as FODA (Friends of Disabled Adults) was declared a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization by the IRS. And that was the birth of one of the most successful and caring DME medical supply companies that is still going strong and still finding ways to give back.
From the Beginning
With over 35 years of combined experience, AvaCare Medical has serviced more than 250,000 people in 48 states since their inception. Their mission is to provide not only the supplies necessary to keep the elders in their community safe and mobile, but also comfort to them and their loved ones while making the transition into this new chapter in their lives.
Carrying on a Tradition
Currently, Steven Zeldes heads up the company as CEO. After completing his graduate studies, his goal was to put his passion for helping others to good use. “We saw a tremendous need by those people paying out-of-pocket to be able to purchase the medical supplies that need online,” said Zeldes. He goes on to say, “Many of these people either don’t have health insurance or else their insurance doesn’t cover a particular piece of medical equipment, their existing medical equipment is broken and insurance won’t cover the purchase of another one at the current time, or perhaps they want a second piece of the same equipment that insurance won’t cover. There are many different reasons why people have to pay for medical equipment and supplies out-of-pocket, but that market is huge and growing.” Zeldes had a desire to “make things as easy and accessible for this audience as possible,” and that is when the online entity of AvaCare Medical was launched in 2013.
Giving Back to the Community
To this day, the heart of AvaCare Medical is to help not only their community, but the entire nation. When hurricane Florence emerged, AvaCare stepped up and helped FODAC with a campaign to bring awareness to their mission, raising funds to provide relief to those affected by the storm. Between September 20th and September 24th, AvaCare worked endlessly collecting donations and promoting FODAC to their followers and customers, encouraging them to take part in helping their community. In the aftermath of hurricane Florence, AvaCare Medical has been working alongside Chris Brand, CEO of FODAC, to promote, support and refer community members to their honorable service. It is with great pride the AvaCare has become a FODAC partner.
On the Horizon
As for the future, AvaCare Medical plans to start a rewards program for caregivers and a veterans’ program, offering veterans a discount on all of AvaCare’s products. Zeldes says, “We’re here to make a change in people’s lives through the provision of quality medical supplies at affordable prices and to offer the help line that our customers are so desperate for. There’s nothing more rewarding than getting a call or email from a customer telling us how much they appreciate was we did for them.”
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This content is sponsored by Khalid Irfan.
Photo: Getty Images