Staley Da Bear
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- Mar 16, 2019
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The Bears have announced the winner of the 2020 Community All-Pros initiative.
Devices 4 the Disabled (D4D), a local non-profit that works to ensure that people with disabilities have access to the medical devices they need and the mobility they deserve, will receive a $101,000 grant.
"We are honored to partner with the Chicago Bears, an organization committed to advocating for all Chicagoans," said Executive Director of Devices 4 the Disabled Bob Shea. "This grant is transformative for Devices 4 The Disabled and the people we serve. With this generous gift from the Chicago Bears, Devices 4 the Disabled's ability to serve those in need will grow exponentially."
The organization refurbishes used medical equipment that would otherwise be thrown away. It provides that equipment to those in need at no cost. Many of the people affected are people of color and those living below the poverty line.
The organization was founded in 2016 and started by distributing a few pieces of equipment per month. Last year, D4D partnered with several local hospitals, including Level 1 trauma centers, to distribute 537 pieces of equipment. Many of the recipients were the victims of gun violence.
In the first eight months of 2020, that number had grown to 920 pieces, as demand surged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The organization opened the Ed Kane Center in the Brighton Park neighborhood in July of 2019. The facility includes 6,000 square feet of warehouse space, allowing D4D the ability to hold a massive stock of wheelchairs, walkers, commodes, shower chairs, hospital beds, patient lifts, standers and scooters.
The facility also includes one of only two wheelchair seating and positioning clinics in the city of Chicago.
The Community All-Pros initiative began last year in honor of the organization's centennial season when the Bears recognized 10 different local charities nominated by fans, who each received a $100,000 Bears100 Community All-Pros grant, for a total of $1 million in donations.
Recipients included Habitat for Humanity Chicago, Easterseals of DuPage & Fox Valley, Chicago Furniture Bank, Blessings in a Backpack, Hephzibah Children's Association, GiGi's Playhouse, Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans, Cradles to Crayons, Cara and Center for Enriched Living.
This year, charities were reviewed by an impartial internal committee and narrowed down to 11 finalists before a group of Season Ticket Holders selected the winner. For more information, please visit ChicagoBears.com/communityallpros.