A MONTANA PROGRAM CONNECTING DONATED EQUIPMENT WITH PEOPLE WHO NEED IT
Big Sky Independent Living Solutions (BSILS) accepts donated mobility, accessibility, and daily-living equipment — wheelchairs, walkers, ramps, shower chairs, hospital beds, and similar items — and makes it available at no cost to people who need it. The program operates on a simple premise: improve mobility and quality of life through a medical equipment loan program and therapy services.
Why This Exists
Mobility and accessibility equipment is often the difference between staying home and not. The research on this is consistent: when patients leave the hospital without the durable medical equipment they need, they are significantly more likely to be readmitted within 30 to 90 days. When older adults don't have the right equipment at home, falls follow — and one in four adults over 65 falls each year, with falls causing about 3 million emergency department visits and roughly $80 billion in healthcare costs annually in the United States.
Equipment access is uneven. Insurance doesn't cover everything Medicare specifically excludes wheelchair ramps and stairlifts from durable medical equipment coverage. Out-of-pocket costs for a single item can run hundreds to thousands of dollars. Rural communities face longer waits, fewer suppliers, and harder logistics for the rare items insurance does cover.
At the same time, perfectly usable equipment sits in garages and storage units across Montana — walkers, wheelchairs, shower chairs, ramps, hospital beds. Items that helped someone for a few months and are no longer needed. Estate items families don't know what to do with. Equipment that, with cleaning and inspection, has years of safe use left in it.
BSILS exists to close that gap. We accept donated equipment, clean and inspect it, and match it to Montanans who can use it. No cost. No paperwork barriers. No insurance verification. Whether the need is permanent or temporary, the equipment is here to be used.
Who We Serve
Any Montana resident with a mobility, accessibility, or daily-living need that could be addressed by donated equipment. There are no income requirements, no insurance verification, and no eligibility paperwork. The program currently focuses on Billings and Helena and surrounding communities, with flexibility to serve other parts of Montana as capacity allows.
Where the Program
Stands Today
BSILS is a program in development. It is not yet incorporated as a nonprofit organization and does not yet have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, so equipment donations are not currently tax-deductible. The program is operated by its founder, an occupational therapist licensed in Montana, with informal volunteer support. We are working to establish formal nonprofit structure during the coming year. In the meantime, the program continues to accept donations and connect equipment with people who need it.
Donate or Receive
I HAVE EQUIPMENT TO DONATE
If you have mobility, accessibility, or daily-living equipment that's no longer needed — yours, a family member's, or items from an estate — we'd be glad to give it a second life. We pick up locally or arrange drop-off, and we'll walk you through the simple intake.
I NEED EQUIPMENT
If you or someone you care about needs mobility or accessibility equipment — for recovery, for aging in place, for a new diagnosis, for any reason — let us know what you need and we'll see what we can do. No cost, no income verification, no insurance paperwork.