Seeking old hearing aids to help children hear...

One of our favorite patients (who are we kidding, we love them all!) came across a newspaper article from the Wheaton Leader that was written up about us a few years back and brought it into our office. They wanted to know if they could still donate their old hearing aids to help children around the world hear better. We said of course! We are quickly approaching our 6th year in partnership with the So the World May Hear charity of Starkey Hearing Foundation, and we feel like that is a reason to celebrate! In recognition of the upcoming anniversary, we thought it would be great to get the article and information out to our patients again - as a reminder that we would love to have you join in our fight to ensure quality hearing for ALL children in need! Thank you to all of the kind-hearted patients who have already joined us in helping children hear around the world. It is because of YOU we can make a difference. Read about the charity in the full newspaper article here:Audibel specialist Benjamin Wright in Wheaton seeks old hearing aids to help children through So the World May Hear charity of Starkey Hearing Foundation, Wheaton, Ill. Do it Through a charitable project, you can donate old hearing aids of any style and vintage to be recycled into new hearing instruments for children in need within the United States and around the world. Coordinating collections at his three suburban offices is Benjamin Wright, the hearing instrument specialist who owns Chicagoland Audibel. He says the So the World May Hear outreach mission is under the auspices of the Starkey Hearing Foundation. The Starkey company manufactures the Audibel brand of hearing instruments, a newer term for hearing aids that Wright says reflects technological advancements within the last few years. Starkey has dedicated an entire department to rebuilding hearing instruments for charity.

“(I) partner with Audibel because of their technology and because of the philanthropic work that they do,” Wright says.

Whom it helps “We believe everyone deserves a chance to hear,” says Wright of the project. “By donating hearing aids and accepting other donations, we are able to help the whole world hear better. One child at a time, we can really make a difference and an impact in their lives. The goal is to fit 1 million children (with hearing aids) this decade.” He says in the last one, 335,000 kids were helped.

Wright says there are additional avenues for people to find assistance, and notes he offers free hearing tests to anyone in the community.

“We also have a Hear Now program, where we can help people who can’t afford new hearing aids (in) our area,” he says. “(There’s) a small fee for the application. As long as (they’re) approved, we can fit them with hearing aids at no charge. We’re a mom-and-pop family business trying to help the community.”

How to help Donate any hearing aids no longer being used. The project takes them apart for such components as microphone and receiver.

“No matter the age or the style, we can salvage it for parts (and) put it to use,” Wright says.

Also sought are monetary donations to help fund the work, as well as trips overseas to fit children with the devices that can open up the world to them. Gifts can be made through Wright’s offices or the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

--By Renee Tomell, rtomell@mysuburbanlife.com Wheaton Leader

Original article here: Audibel specialist Benjamin Wright in Wheaton seeks old hearing aids to help children through So the World May Hear charity of Starkey Hearing Foundation, Wheaton, Ill.