Spotlight New Jersey: The Grapevine Mobile Bar 

Spotlight New Jersey: The Committee GNO and the S.M.A.R.T. Foundation

Spotlight New Jersey: Guided Collaboration Collective

Spotlight New Jersey: It Takes a Borough 

Spotlight New Jersey: Singer/songwriter/author Genevieve

Spotlight New Jersey: Modern Mom Probs

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News 12 Staff

spotlightnj54part2_2024-05-04-10-46-05

I'm here with Dave Mark. Brian and Juliana. They are with the Eaton Town and Pluck Aman Medical Equipment Ministry. That's a big word. What does it do? Real simple? We collect donated medical equipment and we give it away for free to anybody who needs it. It sounds real simple. It is real simple as long as we get the equipment donated. Um because if we don't have it and this is Mark's tag line. If we don't have it, we can't give it away. This is true and, and um so it's just an amazing process and, and um the networking to get our name out there to get um um you know, our needs out to the public is, is um hand and mouth. It's, it's, it's, you know, one person telling another, I use the term making raving fans or whatever. Um Because when they're out talking about it and they see somebody um it, it's just, uh that's how we get our name spread. My sister's a raising Raving fan. She carries our, our pamphlets in her purse and she'll walk up to somebody and in the Walmart and, and, and say, hey, if you ever need a new one. You go to this place and you get one for free. Um So that's the kind of kind of thing that we're, we're trying to do. You almost love that Mark, love it. I almost feel guilty volunteering there because it makes me feel so good when we take people who are struggling, struggling with uh uh family patient with someone recovering from an injury, they can't work with insurance. The insurance won't cover the products that they need to make their life easy. So, what the ministry does is it kind of fills in those gaps. If you're underinsured or uninsured, you're having trouble getting the equipment that you need to give yourself a quality of life, the dignity of making things better in your life. We can furnish the equipment through the donations of equipment to us, to them at no charge. All what they have to do is come and pick it up and they take advantage of that. I'm assuming the thing that got me about it when, when I started was, you know, I, I sort of understood that people receiving the medical equipment, you know, it's a big deal. They're getting something for free and all that. I knew it would help them out. What I wasn't expecting was how much it helps the donors because the donors have just gone through something very frequently. They've lost a loved one. They had this equipment that was helping sustain them and now they call around to a number of, of places that say we can't take that. But if you put it out on the curb, the garbage men will take it for you and they come to us and they're just so happy, especially if we can call them back once in a while and let them know what impact they had on somebody else's life. And coming up at noon, Juliana and a home care occupational therapist share their experiences with medical equipment ministry.

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spotlight54part3_2024-05-05-07-35-50

As a home care, occupational therapist, the pluck and durable medical equipment Ministry has been a amazing resource for the patients that I have been working with in the home environment. Specifically, those who are unable to get out of the home and I'm able to easily and get the equipment and bring it to their homes um in a short amount of time so that they can continue to live safely and happily in their own home environment. Um But then also, it's really exciting for when the individuals don't need the equipment anymore. Um for us to be able to reach, turn them back to the ministry, it's just really nice for them to be able to have that opportunity to also give back as well as receive. So, thank you so much plucker in durable medical equipment ministry. Um You're just an amazing resource within our community and those volunteers are just phenomenal. Thank you, Dave Mark. Tell me about this young lady. So that's Karen. She is um one of the therapists that, that we've come to know and she is one of the many, many angels that are out there that utilize the ministry. Spread the word for the ministry. Um Social Workers, physical therapists, occupational therapists all over the state. We have recommendations for people to get medical equipment from in Barnegat, from physical therapists down there. It's just, but the network is, is amazing. Speaking of a network and angels, Juliana, you have a great story to share of how you approved what's going on with the ministry. Yes, this is why it was easy for me to approve it. I have a personal experience from needing medical equipment that was not available to me. Um You have to understand these are very expensive equipment, but it's also temporary. So there's no point in and, and then I was also on uh disability. So there was no way that I could spend that much money buying something like that. But a friend of mine who came to take care of me said my sister says she has one. She has a, a shower chair that you can use and I was in a cast so I couldn't wet the cast. So we have a shower chair you can use uh without wetting your. But you know, let's go pick it up. She was all the way in the boondocks in New York. So we met her halfway and picked it up and we came back now before we got back, she said, when you finish using it and you don't need it anymore, pass it on. And so, and that, that is what we did right after I finished using somebody else needed, we pass it on. It's been about five years now. I don't even know where that chair is right now, but that was the pact that we made. We're gonna pass it on and pass it on. So when I heard about that, I was like, that's it. You know, if somebody needs something like that, we should be able to provide it because I didn't pay for mine. Somebody, a good Samaritan provided it for me. Recycle and reuse, recycle, reuse and take up less space in your house. I mean a knee scooter, you need it until your ankle is healed and then you don't need it anymore. So, so then it was very easy for me to say yes. And tomorrow at 6 a.m. we'll talk and break down what help mim can use from you.

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spotlightNJ55part4_2024-05-05-07-35-30

The Eaton Town and Pluck Aman Medical Equipment Ministry can use your help. And we are talking with members right now. Let's start with you, Dave to talk about the problems that you all face. Well, we're always looking for volunteers and we need uh an extensive volunteer base. You know, we see over 5000 people to, to the Plucker and Medical Equipment Ministry annually um bringing in equipment that needs to be cleaned, repaired. Um They're scrutinized to, to an extent um inventoried. Um And then given out to the people that visit the, the ministry. It's a very, very busy place. So volunteerism is, is, is one of the things and of course, space, I mean, we, we gave away $1.7 million worth of equipment last year and we did it out of a cobbled 2000 square feet that I am blessed that the lets us use buck in church. And um but we're busting at the seams so you could use more. Absolutely. And what about you all? Well, on, on our end, we're much smaller. We just started a year and a half ago. So last year we had 260 clients. Um, we get about, um, seven or eight phone calls a day and, um, right now I'm the only one doing the phones. So, um, we, we could use help with answering phones, clerical work of keeping track of things. Um, and then, uh, volunteers. One thing we'd like to get going is, is get people's name on a list that wouldn't mind once in a while delivering equipment or picking up equipment because we have a lot of people that call up and say I need adult diapers. But um it's, it's for my husband and he has dementia so I can't really leave him alone. So just somebody that once in a while could drive out and deliver a cane, a walker, some diapers. Uh The other problem we have is we don't have anywhere near the space they have. So what we'd like to do is get like a shipping container and all we're looking for is a place where we could put it somewhere in Eaton Town or nearby. Um that we could just put it for the overflow equipment, hospital beds take up a lot of room, uh recliner, sit to stand uh chairs, take up a lot of room and even things like walkers and all. We have so many that both of our ministries have shipped overseas. Um uh U Ukraine is a big one. We sent four hospital beds out on uh Valentine's Day this year. Hospital beds. Hoyer lifts that lift a patient out of the bed, uh, walkers, canes, crutches, all that stuff. We have two graphics with your information, your contact information. I'd like to go ahead and put those up as you talk. So people can look at those, see what phone numbers they need to call, see who they reach out to. So go ahead and, uh, give them the information. Go ahead. It, it wouldn't necessarily be a heavy, uh, that, that one's ours for Eatontown. We could use volunteers that might only be able to work, you know, once every few months for a few hours. Um, we'll take anybody. Dave says their men and Pluck Aman receives over 125 calls a week so they could really use volunteers to assist. Their stories of generosity are coming up at nine.

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spotlight55part5_2024-05-05-10-38-48

Right now, you are looking at the contact information for the Plucker and Medical Equipment Ministry. We are talking with them and Eatontown as well. Yes, here you go. The information that you need to reach out to Eatontown. They are here in studio talking about their partnerships. Go ahead and tell us about those. Well, in the medical equipment ministry, uh, we have strategic partners that we work with such as home care providers, uh, physical therapists, hospitals, rehab centers, oftentimes we'll get a call from a hospital saying we're about to release a patient to go home, but they need this equipment, they're uninsured, they have minimal insurance and so they send them to us so that they can come and pick up the equipment that they need provided that we have that equipment in our inventory that works as well for you all too. It does. Um, we've gotten, uh, physical therapist, occupational therapist and, um, some people have taken our flyer and they put it up in a doctor's office. And the next thing you know, a person tells a person tells me, you know, or it ends up on Facebook or next door on, on online and that, yeah, that, that's exactly what I was going to say. Yeah. Yeah. No, I mean, we, we just on Saturday we had a physical therapist that was there. He, he brought in some equipment and was picking up others. So I wanna hear more about the stories when you all get the feedback on how people feel when they receive this equipment and then how they want to help you because of your kindness. We had a recent tragedy in, in Bridgewater where a young family was traveling up to Vermont or New Hampshire and was in a car accident. Um Unfortunately, their, their um father and husband passed um and the high school girl was, was um severely injured and was in the hospital for a long period of time. Anyway, she was being released from the hospital and the mother is calling frantically down to friends that she's being released. We need things and um the hospital, unfortunately, through levels of bureaucracy could, couldn't quite get things there when they needed. They reached out to the ministry, I went up and loaded up my, they met me and loaded up a pickup and we went to their house, set the bed and all the equipment up for, for this girl coming home. I got them dinner, made sure they had everything they needed so that when the family arrived from Albany, they could just come in and sit down and the girl could have a comfortable place so that she could rehab. And um just, it just amazing. And from that, the family member who was the coordinator has volunteered at the ministry, brought her kids over to volunteer at the ministry. And that's the kind of thing that happens. Uh It's just amazing. It is amazing. And this is why I love doing spotlight New Jersey coming up at noon, Dave Mark Brian and Juliana talk about the effect this ministry has on them personally.

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spotlight55part6_2024-05-05-15-03-15

Eatontown and Plucker and Medical Equipment Ministry is doing a lot of good work here in New Jersey. Brian. How does it affect you all? Uh, well, I guess the reason I wanted to get involved in it in the first place was, um, there's this quote from Lily Tomlin where she, she says, uh, uh, you know, some problem comes up and she says, why doesn't somebody do something about that? And then she said, and then I realized I was somebody and, and, and for the people that come and work at the, at the mem, they immediately see that the good it does. There's so much, you know, so much negativity and, and bad news a a around in the world. But when you see people on a people that as Dave always says, people at their worst times, um, that you, you meet and you see how a simple thing, a simple act of kindness, giving some equipment or just giving a, listening to somebody's story. When they're donating equipment, it makes a big, uh, difference. And it's only like, you know, spending a few hours once every few months. If you volunteer with us, that's what I love that people who are recipients then become the givers. Oh my God. That was touch your heart so much. Uh For, for me, it's, it's had a tremendous impact on, on opening my eyes and quieting my heart and, and, and, and, um, I, I look out that, that my volunteers and, and the work that they're doing, um um extending a hand or offering a prayer with a family that, that, that's grieving, whether it's the loss of somebody and they're donating equipment or they're grieving a medical illness that they're coming to pick stuff up for. Um I call God moments. They just um just the I, I, if I do that and I pay attention it, it just elevates. Um I can't help but be elevated by, by seeing that I'm a, I'm a constant um uh constantly sharing those with members of the church that the, and, and things like that and we all need to be elevated, especially on the heels of that pandemic and all the bad news in the world and, and Dell 01 of the things that happens is that you, you run into these people. There was a graphic that just showed the 911 fund. It's uh people that give out uh uh they donate uh firefighting equipment to Latin America and South America. They bring us a lot of equipment in terms of rollators, wheelchairs, shower benches that they collect throughout the state and they bring it to us and um the difference it makes uh i in, in all of our lives. And then those moments of somebody asks us for some piece of equipment that we've never seen before. And then two days later, a piece is donated to us. It happens all the time. New Jerseyans have big hearts and they want to help. So you all just reach out to them. Thank you for this opportunity. You're welcome. We've enjoyed it.

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Della Crews welcomes the team from Medical Equipment Ministry to Spotlight New Jersey. 

Spotlight New Jersey: Medical Equipment Ministry

Della Crews welcomes the team from Medical Equipment Ministry to Spotlight New Jersey.

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