| There are about 278 million people worldwide who | | | | You can also request a donation box from the |
| have some hearing impairment, but only about 28 | | | | Children's Hearing Help Fund Hearing Aid Loan Bank by |
| million hearing devices are produced each year. This | | | | calling them at 1-866-999-2443. Then you mail your |
| gap means that many who are in need are not getting | | | | used hearing device to them in the box. They will |
| the hearing aids they need. Health insurance and | | | | refurbish the aids and distribute them to children and |
| Medicare do not usually cover hearing aids. Therefore, | | | | infants in Florida. Florida is the first state to have a |
| donating your old hearing devices can be a way to | | | | loaner program where hearing devices are loaned to |
| help out others who cannot afford to buy their own | | | | infants and children so that they hear sounds early |
| aids. | | | | enough to develop language naturally. |
| You can find a donation center where you can drop | | | | Other organizations that collect used hearing devices |
| off your used hearing aids by going to the Lions Club | | | | are: |
| website. They put collection boxes in places like | | | | The Knights of Columbus |
| libraries, optician's offices, and banks. The Lions Club | | | | Sertoma clubs |
| runs a Hearing Aid Recycling Program (HARP) where | | | | Hope for Hearing in California |
| they collect used aids, have them refurbished, and then | | | | Hearing, Speech and Vision Services Agency, Utah |
| distribute them to low-income people. | | | | State Government |
| You can mail your used hearing devices to Hear Now, | | | | "Take It Back," Washington County, Minnesota |
| a non-profit partner of the Starkey Hearing Foundation. | | | | The Rotary International Foundation |
| They send the aids to Starkey, where they are | | | | There are others as well, especially throughout the |
| refurbished, and then they distribute them to | | | | world. Search the Internet for organizations that will |
| low-income children and adults around the world. Their | | | | accept your used hearing devices and donate them to |
| address is 6700 Washington Avenue South, Eden | | | | needy individuals. |
| Prairie, MN 55344. | | | | |