Hope Haven International

Ministries: Changing lives through mobility

By Kjersten Joachim | Photos courtesy of Hope Haven International Ministries

Following her first trip with Hope Haven International Ministries this year, volunteer Tracy Waack Glasford says she won’t ever take the little things for granted again.

Tracy and a group of volunteers recently served in Costa Rica to fulfill Hope Haven’s mission to provide advocacy and resources for those with disabilities in developing countries. Simply put, they delivered wheelchairs to over 80 disabled people in need. More importantly, they provide hope.

“It is truly humbling to take care of someone else without expecting anything in return,” she says. “If you got a hug, that was all you needed. I think everyone should experience that.” Tracy saw how much it meant to a 22-year-old woman with severe cerebral palsy (and her mother, who had always carried her). She also witnessed the joy shine through a young boy who had lost the lower part of his leg to cancer - he could finally go to the park by himself, and the woman who was elated to replace her cheap plastic garden chair wheelchair. And these are only a few of the life-changing experiences she witnessed.

Tracy credits her father, Duane, for sparking her interest and passion for the program. “Dad has been very active in Hope Haven for years. He is 75, and I wanted to share this experience with him.” After retiring from working many years in the home medical equipment business, Duane has volunteered countless hours for the organization. His first wheelchair distribution trip was in 2002, this year, he is gearing up for his 33rd trip. He spends much of his spare time working to recycle wheelchairs. “Once you give someone a wheelchair that they wouldn’t have unless you gave it to them, it will change your life as much as it does theirs,” he says.

That life-changing capability is what intrigued Kelly TeSlaa to join Hope Haven International as Logistics and Volunteer Coordinator.

“With Hope Haven International, giving something as small as a wheelchair in a developing country can restore dignity to someone in their community. This gives them their humanity back, and it is life-changing for us as volunteers as much as those receiving mobility.”

Kelly explains that people are often on waiting lists for years before owning a wheelchair. “When people arrive with their family members, you can see the desperation in their eyes,” she says. “Then, when they finally get seated in their wheelchairs, there is an unspeakable joy. To see the joy on the faces is unlike anything I have experienced before. It’s life-changing.”

Hope Haven International Ministries is always in need of volunteers. If you want to learn more about becoming involved, contact Duane at 605.310.2337. n

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