A successful World Community Service Project

Description:		A source of used medical equipment was found in North Carolina. A need for used medical equipment was discovered in Curitiba.
For several years now, Furnitureland Rotarians have been collecting and sending outdated, yet functional, medical equipment to Brazil. This year we sent a couple tons of defibrillators, x-ray machines, and other medical equipment. It was our second shipment. the first shipment was sent about four years ago. As we worked together on this project we began to appreciate
The Rotary Advantage: Classification		Rotary has an advantage over all other civic and service organizations. Our clubs are classified: Members representing a wide variety of occupations bring their special talents together . . . usually proving that the "whole" is greater than the sum of its parts! Together we do wonderful things!
One member with connections to the medical technology industry learned that a great deal of outdated, but functional medical equipment was being systematically destroyed. It was a liability to its manufacturer!					Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge		Another member does business in Brazil. When he is in Brazil he attends Rotary meetings in Curitiba. It was at a Curitiba Rotary meeting that he learned that modern medical technology had not reached this community!			Click to enlarge
The Rotary Advantage:				Bring these fellows together at a meeting of Furnitureland Rotary Club, and ideas begin to fall into place!
IDENTIFICATION OF MATERIALS IDENTIFICATION OF NEEDS IDENTIFICATION OF PROCESS PUTTING THE PUZZLE TOGETHER!
The project was simple enough at the beginning, but as we worked our way through the process it became more complex...
	Collection, gathering, storage, packing, preparing import/export documentation, funding funding to transport . . . all significant contributions, but relatively simple and straight-forward projects and commitments.
We were in control We were in control We were in control			We had located a source of outdated medical equipment Collection was simple! One of our members volunteered a truck to move the equipment to High Point. A member was able to warehouse the equipment.

Crating the equipment was a party!		Click to enlarge		Click to enlarge	Click to enlarge
Why, someone even provided beer! Would you believe that? Everyone got into the act! Lumber, plywood, miles of bubble wrap. . . but after the final nail was driven into place, then the fun really began!
Our club spent a considerable amount of time and effort developing the transportation logistics: shipping... funding of shipping... customs regulations.					We became bogged down in red tape each time we tried another strategy in the transportation game plan.
		We approached the government from a number of different angles: State Department... military... all required more resources than we were able to focus, and all promised shipment... only if room was available. Energy and costs were not balancing. And coordinating shipping within the deadlines demanded of customs regulations were daunting.
		The Rotary Advantage: Funding
The solution to the problem, of course, was Rotary! This year we learned of Rotary's matching funds that have recently been made available to local clubs with big dreams. The availability of these funds provided a quick efficient and cost-effective method of moving the goods.
	Click to enlarge		We kid Colby Walton for being overly detail oriented but it came in handy! He and District Chair, Terry Ball, completed all the Rotary International forms. Terry did her part and with District backing the paperwork and resulting

Global Veneer was a great place for Rotarians to be at 7 o'clock in the morning on a cold February 22nd, when the truck arrived that would transport the equipment to Charleston, South Carolina for its sea voyage.		Click to enlarge	Last minute problems would frustrate most of our club members, but not Woodie Cain, nor his crew that can work magic with fork-lifts.
	Click to enlarge	Here two lifts work together to ease the crates across the loading dock to the truck.	Click to enlarge	And here one truck is used to stabilize a second truck to transfer the cargo to the shipping container.
Click to enlarge	The sealing of the container for its international trip was the end of the project for us!		Look at Woodie! On his face is the smile of a person who has found new room in his warehouse.	Click to enlarge
We held our breath and waited for word of arrival in Brazil. That arrived in early May, along with photos of the receiving and unpacking of the equipment:		Click to enlarge	Click to enlarge	Click to enlarge
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Click to enlarge	Click to enlarge	Click to enlarge	"These are photos taken when our Club, represented by president Marcos Domakoski and by former-president Dinarte Jose Giraldi, delivered the equipment donated by the Rotary Club of Furnitureland, of High Point, North Carolina, USA, to the Hospital de Clínicas. The donation was made possible by Rotary International which funded the shipping of the equipment to the Port of Paranaguá. The Federal University of the Paraná provided assistance in passing of the equipment through customs. It is now assisting in the distribution of the equipment to where it is needed. This project demonstrates the practical strength of Rotary in furthering world-wide understanding and peace."
And from the club bulletin of Rotary Club Curitiba: (loosely translated...)