I've written before how Grand Rapids. MI based American RV converted a Mercedes Sprinter van – the type used by many Class B RV manufacturers – into a special mobile medical van. This past weekend, Chad Neff, General Manager of American RV, along with American RV mechanic Jon Sikkes, who helped spearhead the lengthy conversion process, and Joyce Johnson from Calvary Christian Reformed Church traveled to Haiti and officially dedicated it to medical workers there.
The project is the brainchild of by Calvary Christian Reformed Church in Holland, which has been sending mission teams to Haiti since the great earthquake of 2010. The medical needs there are huge. In Haiti, there is one doctor for every 10,000 people and most people have no transportation. So, the church raised over $150,000 to purchase the van and American RV did the build-out.
“This was something we were delighted to do, using our talents to help people who desperately need medial care,” says Chad Neff, general manager of American RV. “To be a part of such a great undertaking is very humbling. We’re honored to be a part of this project.”
The van is to be used by STEP Seminary, located in Fort Mercredi, Haiti.
Fort Mercredi has approximately 23,000 people and is a slum in the southwest area of Port-Au-Prince. The community is extremely poor and in desperate need of health care. There are two Haitian Doctors and two Haitian Nurses that will staff the clinic. The medical team is part of the Seminary’s Community Development that is done in this community. Besides the medical clinic there are literacy classes and micro loans that are given.
5 Responses to “American RV dedicates Sprinter Van as Medical Van in Haiti”
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August 26, 2013at12:01 am, Maureen said:
Good stuff. How’s the phone situation?
August 25, 2013at10:30 pm, Mike Wendland said:
Heading out again tomorrow afternoon… first to Kalamazoo, then Grand Rapids then on to Georgia.
August 25, 2013at10:20 pm, les shanteau said:
nice story. congrats to all involved.
Also, I looked at your map of where you were today. Are you having withdrawal from the 300+ miles per day?
Or are you tuning up for the Georgia run?
August 25, 2013at9:37 pm, Jim Diepenbruck said:
Bravo to Calvary Cristian Reformed Church and American RV for joining up to pull off a great project.
August 25, 2013at9:00 pm, Campskunk said:
well, it makes sense that an RV shop would be a good place to do this – the needs of an RV and a mobile clinic are similar. power, running water, stuff like that. it’s not really an ambulance – it’s where you get your medical care. this is a nice project all around.