Used hearing aids will be given a new life as the Quest Society for Hearing Enhancement is preparing to collect and recondition used hearing aids.
Joan Lansdell of Quest said the hearing aid initiative will begin early next year.
Hearing aids five years old or newer will be collected at pharmacies in Summerland.
The units will then be sent to the Western Institute for the Deaf for reconditioning.
Once the reconditioning is completed, the hearing aids will come back to Summerland, where they will be available for those who otherwise could not afford hearing aids.
“We’ve got so many people here who need our help,” she said.
She estimates that around 25 per cent of Summerland retirees need help in acquiring a hearing aid.
A set of hearing aids will cost around $6,000.
“Where are you going to get the money if you are on a limited income?” she asked.
While the details of the program have not been finalized, Lansdell said those receiving the aids will be required to pay a portion of the cost.
Since 1999, the Summerland-based nonprofit society has been working to benefit deaf and hard of hearing people in the community.
