Student volunteers help earn CReATE $800

Student volunteers showed Thursday they were not afraid of hard, dirty work when they helped disassemble used mobility devices for recycling at Citizens Reutilizing Assistive Technology Equipment (CReATE).

Students Katie Lubenow (left) and Sarah Beddow (right), at

CReATE taking cables off wheelchair batteries so they could

be recycled. The students said they were excited to see how

similar Minnesotans were to Utahns in offereing great hospitality.

Beddow said she was also excited to send a picture of her

using tools to her dad.

Eleven students from the College of St. Benedict and St. John's in St. Joseph and Collegeville,  Minnesota, were in Utah for an alternative spring break. During this week, they volunteered at the Center for Persons with Disabilities in Logan, Utah, including spending March 8 at CReATE.

CReATE is a non-profit serving Utahns with disabilities by refurbishing used mobility devices that have been donated by the community. The devices are then offered to Utahns for a low-cost. Some devices recieved are too outdated or broken to refurbish, and can be recycled for scrap metal.

The students, along several CPD employees, helped prepare 54 devices for recycling, weighing in at 7,960 pounds. These were devices that would have otherwise been unusable and thrown out. The money made from the endeavor was $811.41. This money goes back to CReATE. 

Student volunteers, Robyn Hall (left) and Lindsey EnVall (right)
take batteris of wheelchairs. EnVall said, "I grew up with a twin
with disabilities, and I thought I'd have a lot to offer here as well as
experience working with people with different types of disabilities."

CReATE coordinator, Alma Burgess, said, "In four hours, the amount of work accomplished was more than our technician could do by himself in a 24-hour work week. This gives him more time to spend on refurbishing devices for the community."

The total working hours came to 68, a number that would have taken a full-time worker 2 weeks to accomplish.

Student volunteers from the College of St. Benedict and St. John's
took on some acrobatics to spell out CReATE after a hard day of work.

Student volunteer, Ashley Blaine, said, "It is good to learn about these support organizations for people with disabilities, making their independence possible, like CReATe helping make them mobile."