Hope Haven International Ministries began with a need witnessed firsthand.

In 1991, Hope Haven board member John Runia and his wife, Marge, were visiting their missionary daughter in the Dominican Republic when they encountered a young girl with paralysis who was left lying in the grass while her father and brother worked in the sugarcane fields. After spending the day with her, John returned to Iowa and challenged Hope Haven leaders with a simple question: “What are you going to do about it?”

Hope Haven responded by purchasing a used wheelchair and sending Calvin Helmus and board president Kent Eknes to the Dominican Republic. Although they were unable to locate the young girl, the chair was ultimately given to Franklin, a man who had been unable to walk for decades.

In 1994, Hope Haven formally established Hope Haven International Ministries. What began with one wheelchair has since grown into a worldwide ministry providing mobility to children and adults across 110 countries.

A wheelchair can change far more than how someone moves. Proper mobility equipment can open doors to education, employment, community involvement, greater independence, and dignity.

More than three decades later, the purpose remains the same: to see a need, respond with compassion, and create greater opportunity through mobility.

If you’d like to learn more, explore partnership opportunities, or find a way to get involved, we’d love to hear from you.