UPDATE: This article has been updated from the print version.

Elliot Sloyer, one of the founders of Wheel It Forward, found himself as a chaperone for a group of 30 eighth graders exploring Israel. During that trip, he discovered Yad Sarah, an organization with over 7,000 volunteers that provides a vital array of compassionate health and home care services for people of all ages.

“They’ve been around for 40 years,” Sloyer recently told The Newtown Bee. “Whether you’re Jewish, Muslim, or Christian in Israel, whether you’re rich or poor, if you hurt yourself or [are] recovering from a hospitalization, you’re almost 100% likely to borrow equipment from them and return it when you no longer need it. I saw that, and I’ve always been fascinated by the library. I thought there was another great idea out there like the library, it just didn’t involve books.”

So Sloyer came back and he got to work. In October 2020, Sloyer launched Wheel It Forward. Wheel It Forward is a durable medical equipment (DME) lending library that lends out roughly ten categories of DME, like wheelchairs, hospital beds, walkers, crutches, and more.

Armed with 14 board members and many, many volunteers, the first branch started in Stamford. Then the second branch opened in Bridgeport, and now, with the help of John Boccuzzi Sr, Nancy Rhodes, Sue Hatch, Al Stockalis, and Allison Hulme, a third branch is set to open in Newtown on October 1.

Newtown’s location will be located within Blue Rock Storage at 12 Commerce Road. Sloyer said the location will operate by appointment only on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Sloyer mentioned a few places in Connecticut that used to offer this kind of service, like Emma’s Closet in Milford, the VNA here in town, and American Red Cross in Greenwich. While Emma's Closet remains open, the other two locations have closed.

“What we say is, ‘This idea solves three problems.’ Each one of them is pretty significant. First of all, we meaningfully improve the quality of people’s lives … We measurably save everybody money … Lastly, this is green,” Sloyer said.

Sloyer explained that lending out DME helps keep people safe and mobile, and for every dollar that Wheel It Forward spends, about three dollars of DME is lent out. He noted that this program is keeping 100,000 pounds of material out of landfills.

The team at Wheel It Forward is doing things a bit differently, too. By utilizing technology, volunteers are able to track inventory across all three locations and track all kinds of data, and the libraries are seeded, meaning some money in the budget is set aside to ensure the volunteers can secure specific pieces of DME.

“Last year, we spent about $60,000 to buy those things to always know that we have the equipment people need when they need it. That was only about 5% of everything … so $60,000 is a lot of money,” Sloyer said with a slight chuckle, “But we’re lending out about one and a half million dollars’ worth of equipment.”

Wheel It Forward reaches about 7,000 people a year between what is lent and what is donated. Now, with the Newtown branch, that number will continue to climb.

When asked about why Sloyer decided to come to Newtown, he admitted that he “thought that Newtown would be a great place because [there used to be a DME lending library] here.” He added that there was a “confluence of events,” and he was approached by Bocuzzi.

Boccuzzi told Sloyer that “Newtown needs this service.” Boccuzzi and Rhodes both pointed out that the service is for everyone, not just for older adults. Rhodes said the library has pediatric wheelchairs and knee scooters for people who had knee replacement surgery.

Rhodes shared a story about her experience as a customer.

“The one thing that’s good that Elliot has done is he’s done all the technology from going on the site like you’re going on Amazon. You’re picking out a wheelchair for Wednesday to pick it up in a certain location at 10 o’clock," she shared.

"A year ago, my husband had hip replacement. I’m like, ‘Let me try this program out as a customer.’ He needed to have a cane and a walker before he could leave the facility … Not that we couldn’t afford it, but it made no sense to buy it because I know that we’re just going to use it, rehab, and give it back.”

Rhodes added that, as a clinician, she likes that the equipment is sanitized and checked over for safety. She said it took the “guesswork” out of her responsibility. Rhodes is a volunteer with Wheel It Forward at the Newtown branch and is working with Hatch and Sloyer to bring in volunteers.

The Newtown branch is still seeking volunteers and Wheel It Forward is always looking for donations. If anyone is interested in volunteering, donating, or lending, visit wheelitforwardusa.org. There are tabs at the top of the website for all three actions. For those who prefer to do business over the phone, call 203-652-8600.

Rhodes and Hatch both have their own extensions for those interested in volunteering. Rhodes’ extension is 641 and Hatch’s is 221. Sloyer said Wheel It Forward takes great pride in returning people’s calls, and to not fret when greeted by voicemail. Call, leave a message, and a volunteer with Wheel It Forward will get back in touch quickly.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.