Recognizing leadership in creating and promoting inclusive communities, a registered charity in Red Deer has been honoured with a Premier's Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities Award.

The Lending Cupboard Society of Alberta received an Award of Excellence in Community, for their work to provide medical equipment to those who need it in Central Alberta.

Executive Director Dawna Morey says it's a huge tip of the hat to their roughly 80 volunteers who are serving more and more clients.

“From the very first year when it was started in 2006 when there were 456 people that were assisted, our fiscal runs until June of each year so in June of 2017 we had surpassed 9700 people that we had served in that one year.  In fact, last year was 10% growth over the year before”.

Those volunteers logged over 8800 hours in the last year, in the first quarter of this year they've already put in more than 3300 volunteer hours.

Morey says they help out people of all walks of life facing different challenges.

“We’ve had the 18 month old in that needed the specialized walker and watched that little guy take his very 1st steps, to the 96 year old that needs a bed rail, and a wheelchair and commode, it really runs the variety of things we have from air boots and crutches all the way up.  We speak and touch to so many people’s lives.”

Morey says their growth speaks to some of the gaps in the healthcare system, she's hopeful this recognition may help them advocate for increased support from Alberta Health Services.

Karol Luciani from Red Deer nominated The Lending Cupboard Society of Alberta for the Premier’s Council Award after he was touched by the use of their equipment.