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After more than 20 years of working with the less fortunate in Panama, Tom has decided that it is time to retire
We want to thank all of our faithful volunteers who have loaded 27 forty-foot containers of medical supplies to Panama. Additional thanks go to those who have helped pack up medical supplies, donated medical items, or provided financial assistance. It has been a blessing to work with you.
Because of all your help, we have been able to provide aid to thousands of Panamanians. Tom has fit more than 1300 prosthetic legs, 50 prosthetic hands and 7 complete arms. We have shipped thousands of walkers, wheelchairs, and crutches, more than a hundred home hospital beds, and literally tons of consumable medical and healthcare supplies. In addition to supplying healthcare goods to individuals, we have supplied clinics, hospitals, assisted living centers, a children’s home, and schools with a variety of medical items.
We are no longer accepting medical or financial donations.
DTCare, Panama (Marco Gruelle’s foundation) will continue to collect donations of medical items at the following address: 301 Moon Clinton Road, Moon Township. For more information on drop offs, call Courtney Robson at 704-770-5044. Or Email Courtney.Robson@dtcare.org.
Container #27 was loaded in June, 2021, by our wonderful volunteers
Container #26 was loaded Nov. 3, 2020, by our faithful volunteers
Container #23 (June 4, 2019) was loaded by our wonderful, faithful volunteers and has arrived in Panama June 14.
Tom and the leg team have completed fitting prosthetic leg #875 in David, Panama.
July 2019.
For an update on the unloading of Container #17, which was sent June 8, 2016, please read the article at the following link:
Chiriqui Chatter post–Container #17 Don Ray, who authors Chiriquí Chatter, has written a nice article about the foundation’s project, Tom’s valuable assistant Rubi, and has included a number of pictures of the Panamanian and “gringo” volunteers working to unload the container.
Container #16 was loaded on September 22, 2015 by approximately 55 volunteers. These wonderful, hard-working volunteers make this project possible and are a valuable part of the team.
Container #15 was loaded June 9, 2015, with the help of over 50 volunteers. We thank each of them for their most valuable assistance. See the video of the container loading posted under the NEWS tab. 
Containers #13 and #14 were shipped in September, 2014.
Contact Tom at
province of Panama, in 1994 through the United States Government Farmer to Farmer Program, using his expertise as a Master Beekeeper to assist Panamanian beekeepers in becoming more productive. While working there, Tom saw the need in the less fortunate areas of western Panama for items that are simply discarded in the United States.
From there the project grew into the collection of wheelchairs, crutches, hospital beds, disposable medical supplies, bicycles, and basic household items. In order to facilitate the importing of the donations into Panama, the McCormack Foundation was formed. In 2006 the foundation shipped a 40 foot cargo container of donated goods to Chiriqui and the surrounding areas. In 2008, two more containers followed. The donations were unloaded with the help of U.S. Peace Corps workers and distributed by Tom. Two additional containers were shipped in October of 2009 and another in 2010. Container #7 was shipped on October 4, 2011. The eighth container arrived in Panama on December 17, 2011. Tom receives and personally delivers all donated items to the appropriate recipients. Containers 9, 10, and 11 were loaded and sent on October 10, 2012. See picture gallery for some photos of the loading.
Container #12 was loaded October 9, 2013. Thirty five volunteers loaded the container. A special thank you goes to the JROTC cadets of Ambridge High School for their invaluable assistance; these young people were essential to the loading. Containers 13 was sent on September 9, 2014 (see NEWS tab for video of loading) followed by Container 14 on September 16, 2014.
- Ruby arriving with container #12
Container #12 accompanied by Ruby reached David on November 2 and was promptly unloaded by a group of 43 volunteers.
We want to sincerely thank Mayor Francisco Vigil of David, Panama, for his very valuable assistance in facilitating the import of these humanitarian materials into Panama. The containers enter Panama tax free with the help of the mayor who also provides transportation to deliver the supplies throughout the province.
Updated August 12, 2021