Accessible vans & mobility.

The accessible mobility dealership, Accessible Vans & Mobility (AVM), while not involved in a formal program of vehicle donation, is very open to the need for help when they are approached. AVM made a van donation to the family of First Class Petty Officer David Hall, of the United States Navy, and his wife Tanya, whose three children have a rare genetic disorder that limits their mobility and will likely further limit it in the future. One of 10 mobility dealerships contacted by EP Global Communications, Inc., when a physician for the Hall family spoke with EP's CEO Joseph Valenzano about the family's need for greater accessibility and mobility, AVM did not hesitate to provide its services.

According to AVM's marketing director, Heather Roche, once a request has been made for a vehicle donation, it is often a matter of finding the right vehicle to meet the need of the person or family. The Hall family needed a van that is wheelchair accessible. In this instance, there happened to be a van at AVM's Bethpage, Long Island, New York location that would suit the family's needs. A longtime customer of AVM had left his vehicle on consignment with AVM when he moved to Florida. The price had already been lowered, but when AVM spoke with the gentleman about the need for a vehicle for the Hall family, he lowered his asking price by at least $4,000, making the donation even more feasible.

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The presentation of the van to the Hall family on March 14 was the culmination of the efforts of a variety of people within AVM. Contact in person and via telephone and email with the personnel of AVM creates a strong impression of genuineness and caring, and a feeling that these folks fit their avocation--one had the sense that the presentation of the van was not about the employees or their efforts but an act from their hearts and a genuine desire to do good for others.

"We're lucky," said Roche during a later telephone interview, describing the company as having a team atmosphere. "We're really developing relationships with people," she indicated. "As a good corporate citizen, we want to help people find resources," she said. "Very rarely would we say to someone, there's nothing we can do. We always want to try to help in some way," even if it is "finding funding resources for people," she said. "It's more of a family type of business." That showed.

The Hall family drove from their home in Virginia Beach, Virginia, to pick up the van at the AVM dealership in Norristown, Pennsylvania, just northwest of Philadelphia. Prior to the family's arrival, final touches were made to the converted van, which had been serviced and detailed. The family enjoyed exploring the vehicle and was pleased with the bonus of the unexpected DVD player, which will help to keep the children entertained during travel. Service technicians made some adjustments to the vehicle while paperwork was completed. The van is a full-sized 2002 Ford E-250. Co-owner and vice president William Blaser credited co-owner and president Jack Donovan with much of the effort for making the donation and presentation occur for the family. Roche and many others also coordinated efforts for presentation of the van.

AVM is a regional accessible products company with products including new and pre-owned accessible vehicles, adaptive driving aids, scooters, lifts/ramps, home accessibility products, and accessible vehicle rentals. The company's dealerships are in Pennsylvania, New York/Long Island, New Jersey, Delaware, and Southern Connecticut. AVM services the vehicles they sell, and twenty-four-hour emergency service is available at all of the AVM service locations. AVM is a Quality Assurance Program (QAP)-certified dealer with the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA), and is a member of the Adaptive Driving Alliance. The company participates in a variety of conferences and expositions throughout the year.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ACCESSIBLE VANS & MOBILITY, CALL 1-800-850-8267 OR VISIT THE AVM WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.AVMVANS.COM. LINKS WITHIN THE AVM WEB SITE INCLUDE A LIST OF FUNDING RESOURCES: HTTP://WWW.AVMVANS. COM/SECTIONS-READ-30.HTML.

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