Impact the Palm Beaches: Clinics Can Help Spotlight
- Lisa Lafrance
- May 24
- 2 min read
Delivering Dignity and Mobility: Clinics Can Help's Mobile Mission Rolls On
In the heart of Palm Beach County's most underserved communities, a Ford Transit Van with a mission far greater than transport is changing lives - one wheelchair, hospital bed, and shower chair at a time. Thanks to a $100,000 grant from Impact the Palm Beaches in 2021, Clinics Can Help (CCH) has transformed the way medical equipment reaches the people who need it most.
What began with a vision and a vehicle is now a fully operational mobile outreach program. Affectionately called the Impact Van, this mobile unit has become a vital extension of CCH's mission - providing durable medical equipment to children and adults who face significant barriers in accessing care. In 2024 alone, the van has supported 78 clients living in Belle Glade, Pahokee, South Bay, and Canal Point, most of whom received multiple critical items like wheelchairs, hospital beds, and pediatric positioning equipment.
Behind the scenes, a dedicated team - including a Mobile Unit Technician and a five-member committee of medical professionals - ensures the van is not just a vehicle, but a lifeline. Together, they've expanded CCH's reach into areas where services like these have historically been scarce, if not entirely unavailable.
But numbers alone don't tell the full story.
When "Leon," a young boy with special needs, lost the use of his power wheelchair due to damaged wheels, his family had no means to transport it for repair. (Name changed for privacy.) CCH stepped in. The Impact Van retrieved the chair, performed repairs, and returned it - all within 24 hours. "You have made a little boy so, so, so happy!" wrote Dr. Shifra Berger, a physical therapist who worked with the family. For Leon and others like him, this program is about more than mobility - it's about independence, dignity, and being seen.
CCH continues to build partnerships to ensure the sustainability of the mobile program. With support from the Jim Moran Foundation, the Ibis Foundation, and proceeds from their annual Clay Shoot fundraiser, they're ensuring the Impact Van will continue to serve for years to come.
We at Impact the Palm Beaches are proud to see our 2021 grant funding fuel such life-changing work. Clinics Can Help is a shining example of what happens when community, compassion, and mobility come together.
To learn more about their work, visit clinicscanhelp.org.
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