Phoenix resident Lance Greathouse holds a full-time job, but in his spare time he gives back to the veterans in his community. In partnership with the Phoenix Veterans Administration and Wheelchair Labs, an organization whose mission is to provide motorized wheelchairs and scooters to those in need, Greathouse began creating custom electric wheelchairs for veterans. When Greathouse's brother lost his life to Parkinson's before he could give him the custom wheelchair he had been working on, Greathouse dedicated his philanthropic mission to his memory.
All of the chairs Greathouse refurbishes are either donated or purchased from thrift stores, and they all go to a veteran in need. Many local businesses and suppliers have even begun to donate to Greathouse's efforts. When Greathouse needed a welder and a spool, the community stepped up and gifted the items to him. Every chair is given to a veteran or disabled person in need at no charge because Greathouse recognized the struggle of immobility.
"A lot of people think that if you're a veteran you get a wheelchair, but a lot of veterans wait several years to get a wheelchair," Greathouse told The Arizona Republic.
He wanted the men and women who served the country to have the quality of life they deserve.