VMEAT moves to new quarters

	January 2000

News Release: VMEAT Program

Holly Foundation
VMEAT Program
1303 Old Ocean City Highway
Salisbury, Maryland

443-260-0822 Voice
443-260-0833 Fax

Holly Foundation, Inc., a non-profit volunteer organization that provides benefits to individuals with disabilities across the nine counties of Maryland's Eastern Shore has grown! After 25 years on the campus of Holly Center we needed more space and have opened a second site in Salisbury.
D.
VMEAT's new facility-a little bare just yet.

Our newest program, the Volunteers for Medical Engineering and Assistive Technology (VMEAT), has grown significantly in the past two years.
D.
A few necessities, like tables and chairs to sit on...

The Computer Loan Program was housed at the Holly Center, Salisbury, in the Maryland Technology Assistance Program office since its inception in 1998. What started out as a small corner to accommodate a small supply of used donated computer components soon grew to fill half the office. Interns from Wor-Wic Community College and other volunteers evaluated the computer parts and assembled whole units that could be placed on loan to the residents of the nine counties. The requirements for a loan are simple: the person has a disability and would benefit from the use of a computer for school, work, or leisure. Simple modifications for homemade switches and donated assistive/adapted technology made access possible. Some computer systems go out for free and others have a small monthly payment. If you are interested in a computer loan, please give us a call for details - 443-260-0822.
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It's moving day. (Not all items are small...)

So who has taken advantage of our loan program? Here are a few examples:

The local Division of Rehabilitation Services referred some students returning to college.
Two middle school students in Somerset County used computers to help with their homework.
A Wicomico adult used a computer to learn new skills to enhance his employability skills.
A gentleman with ALS is using a Macintosh computer with a switch mounted on an old gooseneck lamp and a software program written by Volunteers for Medical Engineering in Baltimore to communicate with family and friends since he no longer has the ability to speak.
D.
And in comes the wares!

These successes and limited space to evaluate computers led to our new computer loan site. Volunteers will have space to store and work on computers and consumers will have a place for training on reconditioned computers.

The other exciting expansion is in our Medical Engineering Program. Volunteers from basement mechanics, woodworkers, hobbyists to electrical and computer engineers will now have a space to work on noncommercial adaptations for individuals. Our famous adapted bicycle for a young girl with cerebral palsy was such a hit that it has been repeated for another youngster. We are accepting challenges to solve technology problems that have no commercial solution.
D.
Ooops! And the wares keep on coming! Certainly no shortage of space now!
We encourage you to stop by and see our newest location at 1303 Old Ocean City Highway, Salisbury. Please give us a call if you want directions or have questions about VMEAT. We are always looking for volunteers in our projects. If you are a person with a disability and want to volunteer, our location is accessible. You might be the next person to work on a project that will light up the eyes of a child, give a helping hand to someone who is retraining after an injury or giving joy to a person with a developmental disability who wants to express themselves with the written word or a few great games. Please come join us! We train our volunteers on simple computer testing so you don't need to be a computer geek to assist us. Your willingness to volunteer can do wonders for others.

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