It's been a great month. I set the goal of 102 oxygen masks in 20 days and the date is fast approaching. Today I'm meeting Noel (a friend and previous coworker) who will be supplying me with lots of recycled bags and masks from Cincinnati Children's Liberty Campus PACU (post anesthesia care unit). I've collected several from Cincinnati Children's Hospital NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and a few from other units including transport and hematology thanks to the support of friends and friends of friends. Also, this week, I received word that a box of 50 pediatric oxygen masks will be heading my way; as well as a shipment of various other items like baby clothes, flashlights, solar powered calculators, etc. I’m hopeful that we’ll reach this month’s goal but feel free to continue collecting to make sure, a few extra oxygen masks can only save another life. We’ll continue collecting and recycling all sorts of used medical supplies as long as there’s a need.

We've been in existence for a few months now, only recently receiving our Articles of Incorporation back with an okay from the state. We’re working on things at many different levels and have a lot of needs at this point. Though we should meet our first goal of 102 oxygen masks in 20 days, any help getting us “up and running” would be great as well. I’ve received a lot of emails from friends asking how they can help. My response is “Yes, how can you help?” What I mean by this is the number of ways you can help is only limited by your imagination, will, talent, determination… We can use donations for shipping supplies, more people collecting supplies, people willing to write letters or make phone calls to suppliers asking them to “recycle” the demo equipment that will otherwise be shoved into a corner once the next new technology is out… The number of ways to help is unlimited. Though I mention many on our “Ways to Help” page, I have faith that you can come up with your own great ways. Future campaign suggestions are welcome as well. I’m currently trying to come up with new campaigns for each month. The plan is a 20 day campaign followed by a 9-11 day break each month (even though this current campaign ends on the 4th – we’ll continue to back it up until we can kick each month off with a new campaign).

Next month’s campaign will likely be started around November 10th and be focused on airline miles. We will soon be making a trip to Ghana and could certainly use the help with the extra miles. Airline tickets aren’t cheap these days. Unless someone out there has a connection that could get us hooked up with an airline that would like to be a sponsor and donate several tickets to Africa each year. Maybe I should write that as a question. Does anyone have a connection that could get us a several tickets per year to Africa?

More ideas that might work for different people… Include us in your will. Hold a charity event; small or large, at your home, local bar / restaurant, banquet hall… make it fun and exciting like a Halloween, Christmas or New Year’s Party, elegant like the perfect wedding or just a large group of friends donating a few bucks to partake in a wine tasting. Compete in a race and ask for donations. Hold a concert, sell a piece of art, put together a baby clothing drive, coordinate your hospital’s collection efforts, ask a friend to write a jingle, make an ad, talk to elderly about adding Odaboro Foundation to their wills as the benefactor of all used medical equipment. Know someone that owns or manages a storage unit? Recommend us to newspapers and magazines for articles of interest. The list is never ending, much like the need of babies in hospitals. Please take a moment to think about the best way you can help and you could help us save another life.

Michael Moyer
President and Founder
Odaboro Foundation