Artel in the Community: How Wearing Shorts Helps Clinics in Need

Westbrook, ME (Nov 27, 2018) Artel employees created an annual “Shorts for a Cause” fundraising challenge in which they agree to donate money for each work day during the summer that they choose to wear shorts to the office. Each year the employees choose a different local charity to support with this project.

This year’s beneficiary was Partners for World Health, an organization dedicated to collecting unused medical supplies and distributing them to international communities in need.  The group’s founder traveled the world as a registered nurse and saw firsthand that many facilities were lacking such materials. Knowing that many U.S. hospitals and clinics are required by regulations to discard clean, unused supplies she began collecting them for redistribution to these facilities. In addition to providing much-appreciated aid, this also keeps a great deal of material out of local landfills.

Kelsey McSweeney, a volunteer coordinator for PWH, visited Artel to thank the employees in person and give a presentation showing how the organization collects, processes, and delivers these vitally needed supplies.  In accepting Artel employees’ donation on the group’s behalf, she commented “It is wonderful to see providers of laboratory technology – as well as hospitals and clinics – helping with our endeavor to improve health globally.”