January 24, 2025 | Caroline Jackson
David Phares was nearly brought to tears in Phoenix, Arizona, while reading an update from Project C.U.R.E. about a 40-foot cargo container landing across the ocean. Scanning the photos, he saw wooden bassinets placed around a clinic, previously barren and in despair. The OBGYN and delivery unit had struggled to find hope. Access to essential medical equipment was scarce, leaving newborns with a mortality rate of 60-70%, David recalls.
Six months earlier, the same man had gone to a local Phoenix hospital on behalf of Project C.U.R.E. Arriving at the hospital, he saw the condition of the donated supplies and was amazed. The hospital staff disclosed that they preferred stainless steel equipment, feeling it easier to disinfect. David specifically recalls the detailed craftsmanship of the oak on the wooden bassinets. With no idea what Project C.U.R.E. would do with this donation, he brought the bassinets to the warehouse and continued his work. Hence, David’s astonishment six months later at seeing the same bassinets arrive at a clinic in dire need. Since this delivery, the clinic’s mortality rate has dropped to single digits. “Those mothers will never meet me, their children will never meet me, but I really had an impact,” says David.
Project C.U.R.E. is a nonprofit that welcomes volunteers from all walks of life and assigns a job to anyone willing. Thirteen years ago, David’s wife began researching a place the two of them could give back. Drawn in by Project C.U.R.E.’s low overhead costs, she volunteered herself and her husband. David, a retired judge, wasn’t sure where he would fit in, as he has no medical background. His first day on the job, he rode with an experienced truck driver who was volunteering to pick up and deliver donations. Over time, David learned how to drive the box truck holding up to six-and-a-half full-sized pallets and mastered the skill.
“I’ll be 81 in March. I've been doing it for 13 years, I will keep doing it until I can’t climb in that truck anymore,” he says.
Today, David does just that–climbs into the cab of the truck and drives to pick up medical supplies donated by various hospitals. But he doesn’t do it alone. David believes every person who piles into the truck gains exposure to Project C.U.R.E.
Through years of growth, we have learned more than ever the value of systems to sustain our impact. When volunteers scan a barcode on a pack of bandages, they might not realize it, but that simple act could save a life by preventing a deadly infection for someone who has never known the comfort of a clean bandage.
From David’s perspective, the task itself isn’t challenging: “What we do is no big deal. I’m not a rockstar, I’m not making great decisions–this isn’t rocket science what we do. But in the long run, I think it has helped me to look at the total process. If we don’t pick them [donations] up, those people at the end don’t get them.”
David acknowledges the team, including Gary Anderson and Jeff Shufelt, who share the truck with him on Tuesdays. He recalls the day of the bassinets and the “forty or so angels” that also touched the equipment before it was shipped off to its final destination. David honors Sun Houdeshell, the Director of Operations in Phoenix, for her tremendous efforts to organize the vast inventory, agenda, and volunteers. He praises those who show up daily, dedicated to the mission that where you live shouldn't determine whether you live.