George Hage and his wife, Renée, were working with refugees in Boise, Idaho when George, an occupational therapist, developed a desire to serve people with disabilities in Africa.
When George learned about Free Wheelchair Mission in 2004, he ordered a GEN_1 wheelchair to display at a local conference for occupational therapists. There, he showed the wheelchair to Hernan Reyes, an artist who uses a wheelchair and paints with a brush in his mouth.
George, Renée, Hernan, and Hearts of Praise — the worship team of New Heart Christian Ministries, a church of refugees and immigrants from Africa and Haiti — banded together to raise awareness and funds for the cause of mobility, calling themselves Idaho Believes.
Over the years, the Hages have participated in about 20 wheelchair distributions on three continents, Hernan has sold original paintings to benefit Free Wheelchair Mission, and Hearts of Praise has opened the doors for George to share our vision with churches throughout Idaho.
Idaho Believes is currently on a mission to provide one wheelchair for every seat at Albertsons Stadium, the home of the Boise State University Broncos — a total of 36,387. As of this writing, they’re at 22,478 wheelchairs!
With their determination, creativity, and heart for the people they serve, this passionate group of ambassadors will continue to inspire people in Idaho and beyond.
If you aren’t one already, would you consider being a Free Wheelchair Mission ambassador, too? One quick and easy way to start is by telling a friend about this cause or by sharing about us on social media.
Together, with friends like you, we can continue to provide the life-changing gift of mobility to individuals in need in developing countries around the world.
