Reagan’s Journey
Reagan’s Journey is an organization in Freeport, Pennsylvania that exists to make life better for children with special needs. They host events, raise awareness and improve the community and provide a pediatric equipment and supply closet.
At this time, Reagan’s Journey has sent out over one million dollars worth of medical equipment and supplies for free! We are grateful for all the guidance and support they provide and for the positive impact they make on the community.
Pediatric Equipment & Supply Closet
Reagan’s Journey Closet gives kids with special and/or complex healthcare needs access to equipment for free. Oftentimes, insurance will not cover products that can help improve the life of a child. Reagan’s Journey Closet can help provide families access to these products.
The organization uses a private Facebook group called Reagan’s Journey Closet to list available items by category.
Categories include:
- Adaptive bikes
- Toileting
- Vision
- Switches
- Walkers/gait trainers
- Hoyer lifts
- Wheelchairs/strollers
- Bathing
- Feeding
- Swings
- Syringes
- Communication
- Sensory
- And more
How Reagan’s Journey Closet Works
Typically, a family will view the Reagan’s Journey Closet Facebook albums and request an appointment to reserve specific products. Then, the closet’s staff/volunteers will tag these items for them and the family will be able to pick it up at their scheduled time and look for whatever else they may need.
During the COVID-19 pandemic and Reagan’s Journey’s move from Oakmont to Freeport, the Closet operated as a swap-group. “We were thankful that we had this platform so that families could still get what they needed,” said Tara Garris, Development Director with Reagan’s Journey.
Reagan’s Journey reopened at their new location on September 28th. They will once again operate by appointment only. Not only does this ensure the safety of families in need, but it also allows the volunteers to block off time specifically for kids and parents.
“By offering that buffer, it allows us to give them the attention they need and deserve, which is so much more than a time to get supplies,” said Kim Neal, Co-Founder of Reagan’s Journey.
The new Reagan’s Journey location is 405 Freeport Road, Freeport PA 16229. It’s located just 15 minutes north of the Pittsburgh Mills and is only 5 minutes off Route 28 – Exit 16. Their building is the blue modular right behind the church.
Special Events
In addition to the closet, Reagan’s Journey hosts multiple events to create a sense of community for children and their families.
Because of COVID-19, many of these events went virtual, but they are now returning to in-person! On December 12, 2021 they are hosting their annual bowling party. Click here to view their list of events.
Impact
Throughout the 2020 pandemic, they scheduled 319 appointments and reached 2,680 members in their online community.
What started as a parent looking for other resources and parents in her situation has turned into an organization that provides necessary equipment and community for free.
How it Started
When Kim and Fred Neal’s daughter, Reagan, suffered a brain injury at birth, she needed access to supplies and equipment to help her fully reach her potential. Like many other parents of children with special and/or complex healthcare needs, Kim and Fred noticed how hard it was to obtain certain equipment and how fast a child can grow out of it/not need it anymore. “It was hard for us to get everything we needed and not feel so isolated,” said Kim.
They were inspired to create Reagan’s Journey whose mission is to make life better for children with special needs through special events, a pediatric equipment & medical supply closet and raising awareness and improving the community.
For more information on Reagan’s Journey, visit their website at www.reagansjourney.org. In order to learn more and stay up to date, visit our community updates blogs page at https://www.chcsolutions.com/continuum_connect/community-updates/.
*Disclaimer: Any health and wellness content presented is for general informational purposes only. Such content is not intended to replace or serve as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.