From @FWMission ... Friday Story: “Inspired to Leave a Legacy”

Founded in 2001, Free Wheelchair Mission is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to providing wheelchairs for the impoverished disabled in developing nations. Headquartered in Irvine, California, FWM works around the world in partnership with a vast network of humanitarian, faith-based and government organizations, sending wheelchairs to hundreds of thousands of disabled people, providing not only the gift of mobility, but of dignity, independence, and hope.

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Longtime Free Wheelchair Mission ambassador Wendy Isbell.

Friday Story: “Inspired to Leave a Legacy: A Supporter Story”

Wendy Isbell first learned about Free Wheelchair Mission about 20 years ago, through a friend who was volunteering to procure donated items for a silent auction benefitting our work.

“Since then,” Wendy told us, “by countless ‘coincidences’ and inspiring stories of people getting off the ground and into wheelchairs, it has become clear to me that Free Wheelchair Mission is one of the charities God has directed me to support for my lifetime.”

Over the years, Wendy has not only donated to provide thousands of wheelchairs to people in need in developing countries, but has also helped to spread the word about our mission through consistent fundraising and support of our annual Miracle of Mobility.

Wendy, who is now retired after more than 35 years in engineering management at high-tech firms, plans to continue supporting this mission for years to come through Legacy and Planned Giving.

“I have long had a will and trust, which I update every few years,” relayed Wendy. “Free Wheelchair Mission has been included as a beneficiary for many years. When I retired and revised my trust based on the fact that I would now be living on my savings, Free Wheelchair Mission and my church were the two organizations that I knew I would still keep as beneficiaries and would still donate to annually now, as well.”

Wendy (left) assembling a wheelchair in Peru, 2015.

Legacy and Planned Giving through wills and trusts allows you to support Free Wheelchair Mission with gifts that will not impact your cash flow, lifestyle, or family security. Your assets remain in your control during your lifetime, and you can modify your gift to address changing circumstances, like Wendy did when she retired.

For more information about Legacy and Planned Giving, please visit our website or contact Angela Gomez at agomez@freewheelchairmission.org or by phone at 949.273.8470 x1208.

Thank you for being part of Free Wheelchair Mission. With your prayers and support, we have given away more than 1.3 million wheelchairs to those in need in 94 developing countries, and together, we can continue to provide mobility to even more in the days to come.