[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 156 (Friday, January 2, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S6940]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING CARE CHEST OF SIERRA NEVADA

 Mr. HELLER. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 25th 
anniversary of Care Chest of Sierra Nevada, an organization that 
supplies free medical equipment to Northern Nevadans in need. As a 
provider of services to underserved communities, Care Chest has long 
been a vital nonprofit in Nevada, and I am proud of the work they do on 
behalf of the Silver State.
  Founded in 1990, Care Chest began as a grassroots effort to reuse and 
recycle medical equipment. Today, this organization helps improve the 
quality of life for those who otherwise could not afford the rising 
cost of health care supplies. Twenty-five years later, Care Chest has 
served over 100,000 people in Northern Nevada. Last year alone, Care 
Chest served nearly 9,000 Nevadans and distributed over 16,000 medical 
items. Free of charge services provided by Care Chest include emergency 
prescriptions, diabetic supplies, respiratory items, and liquid 
nutritional products. Care Chest has dedicated its efforts to the 
underserved communities in Northern Nevada, as 69 percent of its 
clients in 2013 were uninsured while 55 percent were below the poverty 
line.
  As Nevada's unemployment rate remains one of highest in the Nation 
and as health care costs continue to rise, I recognize the unique role 
that Care Chest has played in working to address the needs of its local 
community by offering health care services to those in need. As a 
lifelong Nevadan and member of the Senate Committee on Finance and the 
Senate Special Committee on Aging starting in the 114th Congress, I am 
proud of the work Care Chest does on behalf of the Reno community and 
its senior citizens.
  Today, I ask my colleagues and all Nevadans to join me in recognizing 
Care Chest of Sierra Nevada, an organization whose mission is both 
noble and charitable. I am humbled and honored to recognize Care Chest, 
and I wish them the best of luck in their 25th year of service to the 
State of Nevada.

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