What an amazing feeling it is when you know that you helped someone who truly needed assistance and would not have been able to afford it.  To know that it is because of your help, someone’s life got a little bit easier and safer.  That was the goal and vision of Joseph Harper, a young man diagnosed with Duchene Muscular Dystrophy.  For 20 years he watched his parents struggle to make ends meet because insurance didn’t pay for the home modifications he needed (ramps, pull bars, etc).  At the age of 16 he wanted to do more.  Even though he was limited by his wheelchair, it didn’t hinder his desire to help others.  He was tired of hearing how people with mobility issues were not being given their right to independence.  It was a result of this concern that The Wheeled Scotsman Foundation was created.

          In 2006, The Foundation started out with a simple beef and beer fundraiser and has now evolved into a 501c3 non-profit organization that holds multiple fundraisers throughout the year.  The goal is to raise money to help those who cannot afford to make their homes safe.  We step in when insurance steps out.  We send out contractors, pay for permits, and complete all the work at absolutely no cost to the family or individual.  The Foundation is also a place where people can call for information on modifications.  We also have a free lending library of items (wheelchairs, walkers, portable ramps, etc.)

Heaven must have needed another angel because in January of 2010, Joseph passed away.  Yet his vision and legacy lives on in the people whose lives he has impacted as well as his family and friends who continue to run The Wheeled Scotsman Foundation.   It is with renewed vigor and urgency that we push forward and try to help as many people as we can.  With wonderful community partners like the Philadelphia Union, Total Soccer, Adaptive Living Solutions, Born to Run, and the Center for Independent Living of Bucks County, this is becoming possible!  We invite you to join us if you feel a calling to help others who truly need assistance and wouldn’t  have been able to afford it.  In addition, if you know someone who could use our help, or have items you would like to donate to the lending library, please contact us at 215-957-9981 or visit our website www.wheeledscotsman.org.