WQIO Ohio's Super Station
A small medical equipment loan program in Newark is helping residents avoid the cost of purchasing equipment they may only need temporarily.
The Newark Central Christian Church medical loan closet operates much like a library, allowing people to borrow items including wheelchairs, walkers, canes, shower benches, bedpans and other medical supplies.
The program operates on an honor system. People borrow what they need and return the equipment when they are finished so it can be cleaned and made available to someone else.
Volunteer Jan Tomlinson said the program can be particularly helpful for people recovering from surgery or dealing with a temporary medical condition.
The loan closet served 464 customers by phone or in person in July, sending out 326 pieces of medical equipment while receiving nearly 400 donated items.
The program relies heavily on donations and also works with similar organizations in Johnstown and Thornville to exchange supplies when one location runs short.
The medical loan closet began in 2002 and has since outgrown its original space inside the church. It now operates out of a roughly 500-square-foot garage.
The closet is open to the public Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
