A chair gives a child so many advantages: to sit up and see the world around them, to reach towards a toy or food, to socialize and play with family who have otherwise been holding them, to eat and drink with better control and to show off skills that people didn’t know they possessed! These are all things that many of us take for granted, but for some children a chair that works is what they need to take a more active role in their lives.
This year we will be taking along little wooden chairs that can provide these opportunities.
Using the skills and smarts of Keith Oakes, a local Brantford business owner, we have developed an innovative design that will allow us to serve kids in Honduras. Keith and Ashley worked together to develop an adjustable seat that can be customized with cushions and seat belts to fit even the smallest child. Kristie, our seating technician, will bring foam and postural pieces to help stabilize the children for upright sitting. We have trays for ten of the chairs, generously donated by the Swiss Chalet in Paris, Ontario. The chairs we are bringing with us were fabricated at Pro-Fab Plastics with the generous help of Don and Neil.
Of course there will be some additional expense for transporting these wooden chairs, but they are made out of light-weight plywood and pine to minimize shipping costs.
The best part is that this design can be replicated in-country. While in Gracias, we will make connections with local carpenters who can build more chairs, using the designs and hardware we will provide.
We need your help to make this a reality. Please donate to make this new piece of equipment a success.
All that in this little wooden chair.
Here is how they make the chairs at Pro-Fab Plastics. The patterns we will provide to local carpenters do not require this machinery, but its much faster if you have it!