The largest U.S. nonprofit distributor of donated medical supplies and equipment to more than 135 nations in need is gaining support in Houston thanks to local publicity.
Project C.U.R.E (Commission on Urgent Relief and Equipment) got a boost in April when the Spring Branch Management District published and promoted an online article featuring a woman from Russia who is helping the local effort.
The article featured Eleonora Slovokhotova, who learned about the local branch of a national organization from an earlier Facebook post.
Slovokhotova serves as local team leader, welcoming and helping new volunteers and supporting the regular team at a warehouse at 8303 Kempwood Dr. in the Spring Branch District.
“We can surely say, as a result of your article, we saw an increase in online and phone inquiries about both volunteering and donating,” said Jo Sullivan, executive director of the Houston operation for Project C.U.R.E. “In addition,” Sullivan said, “the internal morale boost of seeing our work recognized by the community was huge!”
Separate from her work at Project C.U.R.E., Slovokhotova — who lives in the Katy area — has been assisting Ukrainian refugees, and now people have reached out to her to see how they can help, too.
She has continued to place new refugees in local homes, she said, and people who learned about her work through the article have donated food and clothing.
Slovokhotova also continues to spend much of her time volunteering at Project C.U.R.E., which just sent from Houston its 46th and final container of medical items for this fiscal year.
The organization first thought it was done for the year with its 45th shipment, which went to Senegal earlier in May.
But just this week, Sullivan said, they prepared “an unexpected shipment to the Democratic Republic of Congo.”
The organization has shipped 225 containers in total from all of its warehouses across the United States, she said.
“Each container average is $400,000 worth of donated goods and supplies,” Sullivan said. “That’s a lot of amazing work we’ve been able to do this year.”
On a recent day, Slovokhotova said the Houston operation had 50 volunteers show up.
Sullivan said that, in fact, the organization is being helped by many one-time, walk-in volunteers.
“It means so much to us,” she said, “but if I had to put an ask out there, I would say we sure could use people that are willing to come a couple of days a week and learn to be team leads. I know it’s hard because everybody’s busy but it really changes how quickly we can load a container.”
“So,” she continued, “if someone is looking for an organization to make their ‘volunteer home,’ we would sure love to have them.”
Always welcome are more volunteers like Kenneth Knobelock, or “Mr. Ken,” who at the age of 80 has been volunteering with Project C.U.R.E. for more than a decade and spends most days at the Houston warehouse, serving as the person who comes early to open up the operation.
However, if you can’t volunteer regularly, there are many ways to get involved with the top-rated charity. A donation of just $25, for example, pays for shipping one box of medical supplies with an average value of $500 anywhere in the world.
While many donations of medical equipment come from hospitals and other healthcare facilities, the group also takes individual donations of supplies that are functional and no longer needed by the owners.
Volunteers test, clean, inventory and pack the items for shipping.
All volunteers are welcome, but volunteers who are familiar with medical equipment can help with specific projects, testing and sorting items.
To get involved, visit https://projectcure.org/location/houston/ or call the local warehouse at 832-251-2489.
Project C.U.R.E.
8303 Kempwood Dr.
Houston, TX 77055
Office, Warehouse, & Donation Drop-Off Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
— by Dorothy Puch Lillig
