The Story of Chair the Love

Fifteen years ago I got invited on a trip that would change my life, and thankfully many others as well. 

It seems that my friend in Northern California,  Val Nunes was going to Mexico City with some friends to deliver wheelchairs.  He made it sound like fun, so I flew from my home near Orlando to San Francisco to meet up and travel with a great group from the Wheelchair Foundation. 

We landed in a region of 26 Million people, and yet our mission was very specific; to give the gift of mobility to 280 families (that is the number of chairs that fit in a shipping container).  The first impact was seeing a long line of families waiting patiently to get their first wheelchair.  Some were dragging themselves along while sitting on a skateboard, while many were carried by a family member.  After experiencing the joy of changing people’s lives with a new rugged wheelchair, I couldn’t wait to go back home and raise funds for another distribution. 

Bit by bit, as Nuview Trust grew, we started our own wheelchair charity and christened it Chair the Love – which is the feeling we get with each delivered chair.  Unlike many charities, we also wanted our donations to be the most impactful possible, so we decided to underwrite the majority of the costs at NuView Trust so that the funds could be used for wheelchairs, not administration.    

With over 100 Million disabled people in the world needing a chair but not being able to afford one, our mission is large and worldwide.   

Soon we expanded the opportunity of being part of Chair the Love to our friends, associates, employees, and other business connections.  Evidently, the mission and the message of Chair the Love are being heard. 

Despite the impact of Covid, CTL decided to continue delivering wheelchairs while other charities stopped traveling.  We have delivered to Morelia, Leon, Guadalajara, Chapala, Miguel de Allende, Puerto Vallarta, and other cities in Mexico.  The Bahamas, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ecuador and Peru have all been recipients of one or more containers as well. 

Last year Chair the Love changed the lives of over 21,000 recipients, family members, and caregivers.  It is estimated that ten people are intimately affected each time a new wheelchair is delivered.  With little overhead costs, Chair the Love may be the most efficient charity available, as only $200 delivers a brand-new wheelchair to where the needs are the greatest. 

So, as God has blessed NuView Trust, we try to magnify those blessings by asking you to join us – through donations, volunteering, and hopefully also coming on a distribution trip in the near future.  Visit CTL.org to start your partnership with us to restore freedom to those often unable to leave their bed or their home. 

God bless you! 

Glen Mather, Founder of NuView Trust and Chair the Love 

 

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