{"id":226609,"date":"2026-04-10T18:12:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T18:12:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/226609\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T18:12:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T18:12:08","slug":"fish-program-supports-mobility-independence-sanibel-captiva","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/226609\/","title":{"rendered":"FISH program supports mobility, independence – SANIBEL-CAPTIVA"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n
\n
\n \/News
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n

1 \/ 2<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

FISH OF SANIBEL-CAPTIVA
\nA Cape Christian Church volunteer organizes the item room for FISH of Sanibel-Captiva’s Medical Equipment Loan Program.<\/p>\n

2 \/ 2<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

FISH OF SANIBEL-CAPTIVA
\nFrom left, \u201cDing\u201d Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge Executive Director Ann-Marie Wildman and FISH of Sanibel-Captiva Senior Services Director Erika Arnowitz.<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

[expand]<\/p>\n

close
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n

FISH of Sanibel-Captiva offers its Medical Equipment Loan Program, providing mobility and small, non-electrical medical equipment to neighbors who may need support during recovery, illness or while caring for a loved one.<\/p>\n

Part of its Senior Services but available to anyone in the island community, it provides short-term access to wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs, commodes and pieces. For many, equipment like this is needed quickly and often only for a short time. Purchasing the items can be costly, and waiting for insurance approval can take time. The program helps to bridge that gap so people can stay mobile and maintain their independence.<\/p>\n

\u201cMobility plays a big role in someone\u2019s quality of life. When a neighbor suddenly needs a walker or wheelchair, it can change how they move through their day and how safe they feel in their own home,\u201d Senior Services Director Erika Arnowitz said. \u201cHaving equipment available through FISH means they don\u2019t have to face that challenge alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

The program recently received a boost thanks from a Cape Christian Church group, which spent part of its Community Day of Service helping to sort, clean and organize the inventory so the items are ready.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Cape Christian volunteers gave their time to make sure these resources are ready for the next neighbor who needs them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

While many requests come from seniors, the program serves neighbors of all ages. FISH recently partnered with the J.N. \u201cDing\u201d Darling National Wildlife Refuge by donating wheelchairs for use by visitors who may need mobility support. The equipment helps ensure that guests who may have difficulty walking longer distances can still experience the refuge\u2019s trails, exhibits and natural spaces.<\/p>\n

\u201cDing Darling is such a special place for our community and for visitors who come to experience the islands. Being able to provide wheelchairs there means more people can enjoy the refuge,\u201d said Arnowitz. \u201cIt\u2019s a simple way neighbors can support one another and help make the island experience more accessible.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more information, visit www.fishofsancap.org<\/a> or call 239-472-4775.<\/p>\n


\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \/News 1 \/ 2 FISH OF SANIBEL-CAPTIVA A Cape…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":125342,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-226609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=226609"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226609\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=226609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=226609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=226609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}