The MedWish warehouse, where medical supplies for over 90 countries are collected

After pushing through any long week at work, I need a really good reason to wake up before 6 am on a Saturday.

But when local nonprofit MedWish International put out a call to bloggers to meet for a volunteer day, I had my reason.

I had heard a little bit about MedWish last Spring, but this past Saturday gave a hands-on glimpse into the empowering work MedWish is doing in their warehouse on Cleveland’s far east side.

MedWish Founder Dr. Lee Ponsky

Almost 20 years ago, Dr. Lee Ponsky was a surgical assistant in Nigeria with the World Health Organization.

Lacking even the most common supplies, doctors and nurses had to be their own MacGyvers using things like fishing line instead of suture. And when there wasn’t an alternative for certain medical supplies, Lee witnessed firsthand that patients often suffered and died for it.

Saddened but also riled by some of these experiences overseas, he returned to Cleveland determined to help resolve this need and started collecting unused medical supplies from local hospitals and clinics.

MedWish’s “hot items” – hard to keep in stock because they’re always needed

Over the years, this grew into the MedWish we know today, which in 2011 alone recovered more than 500,000 pounds of usable medical surplus.

By saving these items from landfills, Lee and his team puts them in the hands of people in need across the globe. From small crates and suitcases to 40′ cargo containers, MedWish delivers to over 90 countries.

MedWish works individually with the overseas recipients to ensure they receive the items they actually need – not things that would end up in unopened boxes.

And although they receive an impressive amount of medical supplies from regional hospitals and clinics, they will only deliver supplies that are in excellent and unexpired condition.

MedWish ships large hospital items like these beds to new clinics throughout the world

Because of this, MedWish relies on a corp of volunteers and their Building Careers vocational program to help their small but dedicated staff sort and package.

This is where our group came in on Saturday morning when I was joined by Wearing Mascara, sosAssociates and Cooker Girl.

After meeting Lee, we toured the warehouse and experienced first-hand how they sort and organize everything for delivery.

Our group’s task on Saturday was to go through surplus epidural kits to remove gauze, catheters, and a couple of fluids for injection. Although it was a fast and even fun activity, it was sobering to be reminded that each small piece from these surgical kits would ultimately have a huge impact on a patient overseas. An impact I’m only beginning to fathom.

Sorted epidural surgical kits

After Saturday’s blogger sort, I would encourage everyone to get involved with MedWish in some way:

• Give your time:  MedWish can always use help sorting and packing the medical supplies they receive.Throughout the year they host Saturday sorts like the one I attended. There are also volunteer opportunities during weekdays and for groups.Become a volunteer: medwish.org/give/volunteer-info

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• Give supplies: Did you know Band-aids are one of MedWish’s top 10 ”hot items” they can’t keep in stock because they’re always requested?Even if you don’t work for a hospital or physician’s office, there are plenty of things you can donate. Organize a drive at your office, school, church, or bowling league for basic medical supplies and travel-sized hygiene items.Supply list that medical professionals and individuals can donate: medwish.org/give/medical-supplies

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• Give funds: Every $1 donation to MedWish sends $16 of medical supplies overseas – with 92 cents of each dollar solely dedicated to recovering, repurposing and redistributing supplies. Donations can be made anytime online and by mail.You can also buy tickets to Huddle 2012 whose proceeds go to MedWish. The football-themed event on Nov. 17 provides a low-cost tailgate alternative to their Band Aid Bash.  Tickets are $25 which includes dinner, an auction and a visit from former Cleveland Browns player Dick Ambrose at the Wickliffe Italian-American club.Buy your Huddle tickets: medwish.org/huddle2012

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• Spread the word: You can actually do one thing right now for MedWish – help spread the word about their mission.Connect with MedWish on your social network of choice (@medwish on Twitter or facebook.com/MedWishInternational).And if you’re an Instagram, show MedWish what philanthropy in Cleveland means to you. Upload a photo, tag @medwishintl and use the hashtag #DoGoodCLE with your post by November 12 for a chance to win two tickets to Huddle 2012.

  Learn more: medwish.org/blog/what-does-philanthropy-mean-to-you

Happy bloggers (thanks to Wearing Mascara for the photo)

Thank you to Reanna, Traci, Lee and everyone I met during Saturday’s Sort. It was an even better reason than I thought to get out of bed so early!

Shore Cultural Centre's Auditorium - home of the Euclid Orchestra and Friday's Shore Cultural Collective Concert. (image from shorecultural.bravehost.com)

As much as I love Cleveland, the city has its fair share of problems from schools that need drastic improvements and issues in local government to poorly planned projects for city development. On the flip side, though, there are organizations that are legitimately trying to encourage the community’s involvement in discovering more of the Cleveland area and providing educational and basic needs support to its residents.      

This coming weekend, two events hope to foster and support larger involvement in one of this city’s strongest attributes – the local arts. Because the events’ geographic and thematic differences may target different audiences, they’re worth individual blog posts — making this a doubleheader day. This morning’s entry is focused on Euclid’s Shore Cultural Collective Concert and a post this evening will spotlight the Downtown Sparx City Hop.     

If you’re in the Downtown Euclid area this coming Friday, there’s the chance to listen to local music and support two causes when the Shore Cultural Centre hosts a fundraising concert to benefit both the Cultural Centre and the Euclid Hunger Center.     

The Shore Cultural Collective Concert starts at 6pm and will feature local musicians, including: Erin Boylard, Denny Carleton, Raven Dana, David Fox, Bill Hach, Sharon Hummer, Steve Mramor, Quinn Sands, and The Sinkovics. Monetary donations and canned food will be accepted at the door.     

The Shore Cultural Centre works to provide quality, family-oriented classes, events, services and resources for all ages in the Euclid area. Classes include pottery, fine and performing arts, yoga, and culinary arts. They also host a weekly Farmers’ Market on Fridays from 2-7pm and are home to the Shore Cultural Centre Auditorium, which provides a performance space for the Euclid Orchestra and other local theatrical and music performances.     

Funds raised from the concert will be shared with the Euclid Hunger Center. The Hunger Center provides basic food assistance to households in the area who are in need due to a lack of family financial resources.  It operates from the aid of Euclid churches and businesses, schools, civic and auxiliary groups, individual contributions, grants and the generosity of various food drives and fundraising events, such as this concert.     

The concert takes place Friday night from 6-8pm in the Cultural Centre’s auditorium (located in Downtown Euclid at 291 East 222nd Street).  More information about the Shore Cultural Centre can be found at www.shorecultural.bravehost.com, on the Shore Cultural Centre Facebook page, @ShoreCultural, and their blog.     

Not only will the Shore Cultural Collective feature an evening of local performers, it will also help support one of Cleveland’s community centers in their mission to improve our neighborhoods through low-cost access to the arts.     

If you can’t make it to the Shore Cultural Centre fundraiser on Friday night, another opportunity to experience Cleveland arts is on Saturday with the Downtown Cleveland Alliance’s Sparx City Hop. For now, though, I’m off to work.   

Shore Cultural Collective 411:   

Hosted by Shore Cultural Centre
Shore Cultural Centre on Facebook
@ShoreCultural