UCP Wheels for Humanity (UCP WFH) delivered 200 wheelchairs to the U.S. Naval Logistics warehouse in San Diego, California, for transport onto the aircraft carrier USS Iwo Jima for a humanitarian wheelchair distribution in Costa Rica. UCP WFH has partnered with U.S. Navy “Project Handclasp”, in a one-of-a-kind alliance between the private and public sector where humanitarian aid donated by Americans is transported aboard Navy aircraft carriers and distributed to the poorest of countries around the world.
“We are very excited about this endeavor with the U.S. Navy as it allows us the opportunity to transport wheelchairs to the poorest and neediest children around the world, free of charge,” said Dr. Ronald S. Cohen, Chief Executive Officer of UCP Wheels for Humanity.
Project Handclasp was started by a small group of concerned Navy personnel back in the early 1960s, who, when they visited the many foreign ports-of-call, witnessed firsthand the poverty in which people were living. The Navy discovered new ways to make use of available space on aircraft carriers to enhance human lives around the world.
By forming this new relationship, UCP Wheels for Humanity will be able to distribute more wheelchairs to more countries than ever before. “As a result of this new collaboration, we are hopeful that we will soon be delivering wheelchairs to children in Vietnam, El Salvador, Haiti, Peru, and the Philippines,” said Dr. Cohen
