MedWish International

MedWish celebrated its 700th Local Giving order with a new partner: Guns Down, Hopes Up. Their mission is to provide free resources to children who have lost a parent to gun violence. By providing free activities and support, along with backpacks and other supplies, they are quickly becoming a pillar in our community. Pictured here is Marcia, founder, picking up hand sanitizer, gloves, soap, toothbrushes, and shampoo for an upcoming back to school distribution event.

HELLO AUGUST 👋

Visit medwish.org to see future event dates and more ways YOU can get involved this year!

Save the Date for the Medworks Eye Health + Vision Clinic at Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute on Saturday, September 28th. Volunteer registration is now OPEN.

Visit https://medwish.galaxydigital.com/agency/detail/?agency_id=160774 to sign up today!

Antonine Village has received more than 5,600 pounds of supplies from MedWish so far this year! Essential hygiene supplies and medical items that we are able to provide have made a significant impact in the way the residents are cared for.

We are forever grateful for the constant dedication of our MedWish family - our mission wouldn't be possible without your support!

Pictured here are laparoscopic instruments sent from MedWish to Kharkiv. These instruments were sterilized and prepared for a surgical procedure that would have been far more invasive without them, leaving a potential for greater complications and longer recovery time.

We want to give a huge thank you to the volunteer groups that choose to spend their time at MedWish International! Here are a few of the groups that have stopped by the warehouse recently:

- MetLife
- Specialty Networks
- Cleveland Clinic
- Andrews Osborne Academy

To learn more about our volunteer opportunities, visit medwish.org/volunteer today!

MedWish International surpassed 600 Local Giving orders this week! In the midst of a busy day of supply and equipment pick ups at our warehouse, we managed to capture our Local Programs Assistant, Portia, fulfilling an order for a MetroHealth social worker's client, which included canes and a wheelchair.

We are so thrilled to be able to connect with so many local organizations that allow us to provide greater access to medical supplies and equipment within our community!

There is much to consider, and it has been an inspiring process that reflects the 1+1=3 impact promise of our combined MedWish and Medworks mission! We would love your input through the survey linked here: https://form.jotform.com/241935613582965!

We recognize our approach is a little risky since our final decision will not reflect all of the good ideas offered to us. However, power of community is one of the strongest common values connecting MedWish and Medworks. We are grateful that we have such a large and diverse community and your input is important to us.

Click the link above to access the survey, which should take less than 10 minutes to complete. Please submit by July 21, 2024.

Special thanks to all of the Cleveland Clinic volunteers that have come to help at our warehouse recently. We always appreciate the level of support you all provide and the continued dedication to the mission of MedWish!

Your efforts make a significant impact on our community and the lives of those we serve. We look forward to continuing this journey together and we thank you, again, for being such a large part of our MedWish community!

HELLO JULY 👋

Visit medwish.org to see future event dates and more ways YOU can get involved this year!

Our Local & Domestic Giving Program at MedWish International is a wonderful opportunity for us to provide the same support we do to the countries we serve, right in our own backyard!

Since this program began, we have helped countless individuals regain their independence, improve their quality of life, and gain access to supplies and equipment they may have otherwise had to go without.
To learn more about our Local & Domestic Giving Program, visit medwish.org/local-giving.

SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY!

In case you haven't heard, Medworks is hosting a FREE Women's, Children's, & Gynecology Clinic at Cleveland Clinic Fairview Westown Physician Center on Saturday, July 20th!

Services include Pelvic Exams, Mammograms, Dental Screenings, Pediatric Consults, and so much more! This clinic will also provide FREE Rx, HIV screenings, produce bags from Greater Cleveland Food Bank and additional resources for ongoing care.

Visit medworksusa.org for more information and schedule your appointment today. Remember to share this post with family and friends who may be interested in joining!

We want to give a huge thank you to the volunteer groups that choose to spend their time at MedWish International! Here are a few of the groups that have stopped by the warehouse recently:

- City Year Cleveland
- Cleveland Clinic Internal Audit Team
- Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
- The Academy of Medicine of Cleveland & Northern Ohio
- Cleveland State University Men's Soccer Team

To learn more about our volunteer opportunities, visit medwish.org/volunteer today!

MedWish International is happy to support The Centers as they fight for equity by healing, teaching, and inspiring individuals and families to reach their full potential. Formerly known as "The Free Clinic" and "The Centers for Families and Children", this organization has been addressing the needs of the under-resourced and underserved in Cleveland for over 50 years.

So far in 2024, MedWish has fulfilled 9 orders through The Centers, the most recent also being our 500th Local & Domestic Giving order of the year! They received 5 automated BP Monitors which will help monitor and track individuals with hypertension to provide team-based care as they work to address heart health disparities in Cuyahoga County. This is part of a CDC initiative to reduce heart disease and strokes in neighborhoods where the hypertension rate is greater than 53%.

Medworks is hosting a FREE Women's, Children's, and Gynecology Clinic at Cleveland Clinic Fairview Westown Physician Center on Saturday, July 20th!

Services include Pelvic Exams, Mammograms, Dental Screenings, Pediatric Consults, and so much more! This clinic will also provide FREE Rx, HIV screenings, produce bags from Greater Cleveland Food Bank and additional resources for ongoing care.

Visit medworksusa.org for more information and schedule your appointment today!

There was an unexpected 2023 Honduras Brigade mini-reunion at this year’s Volunteer Appreciation Happy Hour last month! We truly appreciate our wonderful volunteers and love witnessing the bond formed through such a memorable shared experience.

to Band Aid Bash 2023 - WHAT A TIME!

This time last year, we were wrapping up our biggest event of the year! We are truly thankful for the support we receive, and it was wonderful to commemorate 30 years of MedWish International with such an amazing crowd of support!

HELLO JUNE 👋

Visit medwish.org to see future event dates and more ways YOU can get involved this year!

Are you looking for a meaningful way to spend your summer? Do you want to make a difference in your community and meet new people? Whether you have a few hours to spare or are looking for a more regular commitment, we have plenty of shifts available.

Visit medwish.org/volunteer to register today!

The Spanish American Committee works hard to provide services that aid in making socioeconomic success and self-efficiency more accessible to the Latino community in NE Ohio.

Last week, they stopped by the warehouse to pick up over 400 pounds of supplies to put together household and hygiene kits for distribution, making them our 400th Local Giving order for the year!

To learn more about our Local & Domestic Giving Program, visit medwish.org/local-giving.

Paul and Sharon Connor were instrumental in initiating vision care programming at Medworks Clinics. Their skills and continued dedication consistently bring a high degree of joy and levity to clinics 15 years later. We are thrilled to recognize them as Medworks' 2024 Volunteer of the Year award recipients!

“Knowing that we didn’t just provide a pair of glasses – We changed lives...And we love that those persons who received glasses can now enjoy the act of reading, complete a job application, drive a car, and cook without burning themselves on the stove. We love knowing that we can make a difference in our corner of the world.”

MedWish hosted our 2nd Annual Volunteer Appreciation Happy Hour with Medworks earlier this month. It was great to be able to come together to celebrate our dedicated volunteers (in all forms) and recognize their continued dedication to our mission. Thank you to all who were able to make it!

MedWish International is excited to recognize Paulette Chambers as the 2024 Volunteer of the Year!

“Volunteering at MedWish has many favorite parts because I like that the facility is clean, the employees and the volunteers are very kind, the music is the icing on the cake!”

To learn more about Paulette, visit medwish.org/latest.

Connections are made every day in the MedWish warehouse and it is such a beautiful sight to see. Pictured is the result of a conversation between one of our International Humanitarian Aid recipient organizations, and one of our regular MedWish volunteers and past Brigade participants. They are discussing surgical instruments in our inventory via video call with a physician in Ukraine.

After confirming their need, we were able to include these items in this organization's hand-carried shipment for an upcoming trip to Ukraine. These items have since arrived safely and are now being put to good use. The potential impact of these instruments, saved from a landfill, repurposed, and put into the hands of skilled medical professionals is a testament to the ripple effect of the MedWish mission and the importance of all the people who make this work possible!

Antonine Village is an adult daycare facility in North Jackson, Ohio, and a new Local Giving partner with MedWish International. Since February, we have fulfilled three orders for a total of 3,000 pounds. To top it all off, the most recent order picked up this April was our 300th Local Giving order of the year!

We have provided everything from PPE, adult diapers and other hygiene supplies, walkers, medicine cups, and so much more. Access to these items, through MedWish, allows them to provide quality care for the adults whom they serve.

HELLO MAY 👋

Visit medwish.org to see future event dates and more ways YOU can get involved this year!

At MedWish, we believe that every person deserves access to quality medical supplies and equipment, regardless of their location or economic status.

Your contribution, no matter how big or small, will go a long way in helping us fulfill our mission to save lives and the environment. Visit medwish.org/give and consider making a donation today to support our efforts.

As we wrap up National Volunteer Month, MedWish would like to extend a HUGE thank you to all who continuously support our mission.

Whether you're donating your time at the warehouse sorting and packing supplies, participating in a brigade trip, serving on the MedWish Board of Directors or a special committee, at a donor location as a Champion, or spending your summer with us as an intern, you are directly supporting the MedWish mission!

To our Skill Building Participants who help break down, count, and sort supply kits, THANK YOU!

Our Skill Building Program empowers individuals with developmental disabilities to learn new skills and work toward their highest level of potential. Not only are they learning new skills but also contributing to the well-being of others, both locally and globally. Our Skill Builders are an integral part of our community and for embodying the spirit of kindness, inclusivity, and hard work.

To the corporate groups who choose MedWish International for their local service efforts, THANK YOU!

We are truly grateful to have so many amazing local corporate groups who volunteer their time and efforts to support our mission. Your commitment to sorting and packing medical supplies not only helps us in fulfilling our mission but also serves as a wonderful team-building experience for all involved.