Bill Dehmer Isn’t Slowing His Volunteering with St. Louis HELP

Bill Dehmer is among the dedicated volunteers who routinely serve the St. Louis Health Equipment Lending Program (St. Louis HELP) above the beyond the call of duty – yet he has two noteworthy distinctions:

Bill offered to be a St. Louis HELP volunteer even before the organization was founded in 2008, and he’s been a volunteer ever since. “I heard about the concept before St. Louis HELP became an official nonprofit organization. I knew it would be a good thing so I committed,” Bill says.

Secondly, Bill is unique among the volunteer team because he is 83 years old and he shows few signs of slowing down.

“I am a 40 year old man in an 83 year old envelope,” he says with a laugh. “I love helping people. I keep moving and I love volunteering with St. Louis HELP. It is a unique organization.”

Bill and his wife Jackie are well known and well liked among St. Louis HELP volunteers and staff. They attend every event and participate in nearly every activity – ranging from equipment donation drives to fundraising to educational events such as health fairs to discuss St. Louis HELP’s charitable mission.

St. Louis HELP freely loans wheelchairs, hospital beds, walkers, crutches, shower chairs, tub benches, grab bars, portable commodes, lift chairs, pediatric equipment and additional medical equipment to any person, caregiver or family at absolutely no cost. (http://www.stlhelp.org).

The organization has assisted thousands of people of all ages temporarily disabled by injury, illness or surgery; those awaiting insurance company approval; those whose own equipment is being repaired; visitors to St. Louis who can’t transport their own equipment; and terminally ill persons.

It collects about 11,000 items of donated home health equipment annually in twice-a-year equipment drives and via donations of equipment that people bring to its warehouse during the year. All donated equipment is cleaned and reconditioned by a team of skilled craftsmen and volunteers. Each year, St. Louis HELP diverts about 140 tons of equipment that would otherwise end up in landfills.

Above the Call of Duty

In the last few months, Bill has participated in public events designed to help senior citizens and other people maintain and protect their health. These include events sponsored by the City of Ferguson; the City of Florissant; OASIS; and other entities that promote healthy aging with wellness seminars, active lifestyles and volunteerism.

In addition, when home health equipment donors have been unable to take their equipment to the St. Louis HELP warehouse in Olivette for donation, Bill has driven to the donor’s residence to pick it up.

"St. Louis HELP answers many prayers by serving thousands of people," says Bill, who met the nonprofit's founder Laura Singer in 2007 as a result of his volunteerism for the nonprofit Wheels for the World ministry.

"I worked in medical equipment sales for years until I retired,” he says. “I saw that St. Louis HELP is a great concept for serving people in the St. Louis area," he says.

"Many home health items are not covered by insurance,” he continues. “More than ten years ago Medicare/Medicaid stopped covering items for the shower — one of the most dangerous places for someone with mobility issues."

"When my wife Jackie and I got involved with St. Louis HELP, we never looked back. We’ve made many new friends – it is a wonderful organization."

The Dehmers have been married since 1960. They stay fit by participating in a Silver Sneakers program at a YMCA near their home in Ferguson. At St. Louis HELP events and around town, Bill and Jackie are almost always accompanied by “Rosie,” their cute little Chihuahua who has helped the Dehmers recruit new volunteers for St. Louis HELP simply by smiling and wagging her tail.

Jackie Dehmer also routinely handles volunteer tasks for the organization. Jackie says, "It is a joy for us to see people donate used medical equipment that they may have kept in their attic or basement. Sometimes, that equipment belonged to a loved one in their family who has passed. The experience of donating that equipment to St. Louis HELP for someone else to use often provides a sense of closure and peace."

"We have a great relationship with St. Louis HELP and it's been that way since the beginning," says Bill. "We meet many different types of people and it is always a joyous experience."

If you don’t meet Bill and Jackie Dehmer at a St. Louis HELP event, you can typically see them on Sunday mornings at North County Community Church in Hazelwood. “Believe it or not, we have recruited many new volunteers for St. Louis HELP from among our friends at the church,” says Bill with a smile.

St. Louis HELP is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. For free loans of home health equipment or to donate health equipment you don't need, please call St. Louis HELP at 314 567 4700 or see the website http://www.stlhelp.org.