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Disabled American Veterans Chapter 2, is under full steam when it comes to mobilizing disabled veterans.
Since the chapter's wheelchair/scooter program began, more than 700 veterans have been given mobility through wheelchairs and scooters at no charge.
On Oct. 23, 2024, Chapter 2 held a ribbon cutting at the Austintown Plaza. Prior to that, the wheelchair for veterans program worked out of a shed that cost the chapter $800 per year. The shed didn't afford a great work area to repair and prepare the scooters and chairs for use. Now the chapter not only has a place to meet, but also has a workshop to restore scooters and ensure every veteran in need will be accommodated.
"Since we opened the Austintown Plaza office, we have issued over 375 scooters and wheelchairs," said Chapter 2 Commander Terry Mackey.
The front of the Austintown location is set up for meetings and for veterans to get together for camaraderie. The back half is a storage and repair area where the various mobility devices can be checked over, restored if needed and made ready to give to a veteran who has need of one.
With the new office also came an area that could hold a larger inventory. The main room has powered wheelchairs on one side and three- or four-wheel scooters on the other side.
"We try to fit the unit to the veteran's needs," said wheelchair coordinator Tom Davis. "A veteran may live in an older home with 32-inch doorways. He or she would need a scooter that could fit through that opening. We outfit the person according to their needs."
Besides the wheelchairs and scooters, Davis also has vehicle trailer attachments, walking sticks, canes, push chairs, walkers and rollators. The rollators are like a walker that can quickly convert into a seat.
When the units arrive as donations, they are checked out by the team of volunteers who serve as mechanics and technicians. The units are cleaned, repaired if needed, outfitted with a fresh battery, and upon final inspection, tagged with a green tag stating the unit is ready to go.
"We have a pretty good crew who work great together," Davis said. "It all started with just one or two people and now we have 10."
While veterans and their families come first, Chapter 2 has opened the program to include battered women's shelters, according to DAV volunteer Bill Caban.
Gary Binkley, another Chapter 2 member, was helped by the program. His eyesight is nearly gone and after five back surgeries and a diagnosis of neuropathy and spinal stenosis, he can no longer walk. He can see enough to maneuver a powered wheelchair around and is thankful for the one he has from the DAV.
"The wheelchair gives me freedom I would not otherwise have," Binkley said. "It has been a great help to me. In fact so has Chapter 2.
I drove truck for 42 years and was pretty much a person of solitude, but this group opened things up for me. It has been life changing.”
He enjoys the camaraderie of the group and is a frequent visitor to the plaza location.
Mahoning County Veterans Service Commissioner Dale Baringer said DAV Chapter 2 also does other great work for veterans. The chapter maintains flags on the Mahoning Avenue bridge, has an honor guard for funerals, places flags on veterans' graves, participates in the Memorial Day Parade and Fourth of July, and visits nursing homes to honor veteran residents.
The chapter also delivers 45 bags of food each month to veterans and their families, gives away gift cards for food at Christmas and assists veterans with bill paying and home repairs, including building a wheelchair ramp.
"We also gave out 25 scooters to use at this year's Canfield Fair," Davis said. "This was our second year doing it."
He said any veteran can pick up a scooter for use at the fair to get around. This year alone, Davis said the program saved veterans more than $3,000 in rental fees.
For the future, Chapter 2 will continue its good work and help disabled veterans gain their ability to get around by providing mobility devices at no charge.
"Whenever we give a scooter or wheelchair out, we ask the family to give it back when it no longer is needed so we can pass it on to help another veteran," Mackey said.
To learn more about the program, contact the DAV Chapter 2 at 330-720-0553.