Fundraisers

Hands Across the World is funded entirely by donations. Simply put, if it weren’t for generous supporters like you, we wouldn’t exist. Each and every donation adds up and makes an impactful difference in someone’s life.

Our last fundraiser, held in September of 2022, was a tremendous success! Hosted by Boston’s award winning news anchor, reporter, author and CEO of Brunner Communications, Liz Brunner, and hospitality guru, Mark D’Alessandro, we soared past our goal of $100,000 and raised $127,474!

Help us build our tinyOR!

Surgical care in low- and middle-income countries often exists as a privilege for those who can afford it. Over 40 million people risk poverty each year accessing surgical services. In addition to medical costs, indirect costs substantially impact a patient’s ability to get treatment. One of the most consistently cited barriers to care is transportation — getting to the hospital or clinic. When that travel burden is lessened or eliminated, access to surgery improves.

Introducing tinyOR!

“tinyOR” is a mobile, scalable, cost-efficient concept that allows patients to access surgical care closer to home. It is a modified, trailer-based platform designed to house a preoperative triage area, a fully-functional operating room with the ability to provide a wide range of anesthetics, and a substerile instrument room. The unit can function adjacent to clinics or health centers to both utilize existing infrastructure for postoperative recovery and to partner with local healthcare personnel for perioperative care. tinyOR is lightweight enough to be pulled by a commercially available truck, and once in place it can run independent of its towing vehicle. Because of its scalability and cost-effectiveness, tinyOR can be incorporated into existing regional healthcare infrastructure as a way to strengthen local health systems.

TinyOR is about (tiny) space making. It allows patients to be treated close to where they live, without fear of impoverishment. It makes space for dignity, respect, and individual freedom in settings where those very ideals are often challenged on a daily basis.