PAPILLION, Neb (KMTV) — It's a project that started as a simple request for help but it would quickly grow into something much bigger.
“One of our friends that we have coffee with at Hy-Vee in Papillion needed a wheelchair for his mother who was having some serious health issues,” said Russ Zeeb with the Papillion Volunteer Fire Department.
Zeeb would put out a call for help on his local Facebook page and quickly found someone willing to donate a wheelchair.
Seeing the quick response gave Zeeb an idea, why not open a Mobility Library where folks in Papillion can find the mobility equipment they need for free.
“It's gone gangbusters! We haven’t spent one cent — everything here is donated,” said Zeeb.
Over the last two weeks, folks in Papillion have donated dozens of crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, ramps and other mobility equipment to the mobility library.
The community’s response to the project has been overwhelmingly positive and Zeeb says that folks continues to step up when someone is in need.
“We needed one of these walkers for a local businessman that we all have known for years. We needed it and we had given out our last one the day before, I got on Facebook put it on there and I had three of them by the end of the night,” said Zeeb.
Zeeb, a lifelong resident of Papillion, said the response from the community isn’t surprising.
“That’s the way Papillion is. If you need help, somebody is going to help you,” said Zeeb.
The success of the project has motivated Zeeb to keep expanding the storage space in the mobility library so they can help even more people in Papillion.
“The sky is not the limit but the sky is the limit. We will take anything we can to help others."
Anyone interested in donating equipment is encouraged to reach out to Russ Zeeb at 402-681-0929.
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