By DARLENE PRINCE

prince@crescent-news.com

For persons who need a wheelchair, walker or crutches and have limited income, there is plenty of help in the four-county area.

In Defiance County, the Defiance Area Society for the Handicapped (DASH) and Crippled Children & Adult Society (in Hicksville) are ready to lend a hand to those in need.

DASH, located at 1931 E. Second St., has a medical closet filled with a number of items and aids available to Defiance County residents only.

"There is no charge to Defiance County residents for using our medical closet," said DASH executive director Julie Hall. "We have wheelchairs and companion wheelchairs, which are lighter and easier to get in and out of cars. We have wheeled walkers, commodes with or without handles, shower stools, tub grab rails, crutches and canes.

"We also carry long-handled shoe horns, sock aides and long-handled reachers," she added.

DASH is supported through donations and fund-raisers and is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

For more information, call 419-782-9346.

At the Crippled Children & Adult Society, 309 Wendell Ave., Hicksville, society president Frank Hostetler said, "We loan out all kinds of medical equipment."

He said, for example, last year the society loaned out 52 wheelchairs, 137 walkers, 13 lift chairs, 28 crutches and many other items including canes, four-wheeled walkers and commodes.

"We loan out equipment to residents in four townships, Hicksville, Farmer, Mark and Milford," Hostetler added.

"There is no charge for this equipment," he said. "It is paid for by donations. We do have a fund-raiser once a year."

There is no set time for the society's office to be open, but Hostetler said all messages left on the phone will be answered.

For more information, call 419-542-9926.

In Henry and Fulton counties, the Society for the Handicapped at 470 Independence Drive, Napoleon, has a number of pieces of medical equipment on hand.

Office manager Peggy Szozda said, "We have wheelchairs, shower chairs, walkers and other items. We get a number of donations from people who bring in items after someone in their family has passed away.

"We ask for a $5 deposit for smaller items and a $25 deposit on larger items, like the wheelchairs," she said. "They can use the item for 60 days and, if they need to, they can get a 60-day extension. When they are finished with the item and bring it back, they can have their deposit refunded or they can choose to donate it to the society. Many choose to donate their deposit.

"I do a lot of work with hospice where they might need an item for several days," Szozda said. She added that some of their equipment is also used by elderly residents in the two counties.

The society's office is open from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Monday through Friday.

"We have bingo every Thursday at 5 p.m.," she said. "It is a fund-raiser for us."

"We serve about 500 people a year," she said.

For more information, call 419-599-0951.

Defiance County VFW Post 3360 lends out medical equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, canes, shower chairs and other items to veterans and VFW members at no charge.

VFW member John Stemens, who is in charge of the equipment, said, "We have lent items out to more than a couple of hundred people." He said, just recently, a wounded veteran who had served in Iraq, was in town from San Antonio, Texas, visiting his wife's parents. Stemen said the veteran's mother-in-law had come to the VFW and asked for the loan of some medical equipment while her son-in-law was in town.

For more information on the VFW's medical equipment, call the Defiance VFW at 419-782-2756.

In Paulding County, the Paulding VFW, located on Railroad Street in Antwerp, lends walkers, crutches, canes and other items to veterans at no charge.

For more information, call 419-258-4231.