FAQs

Request supplies by going to our website, www.fowusa.org, and select “Request Supplies.” When you click on Request Supplies, choose either Individual or Group from the drop-down menu.

We recognize there is a need for those living in the USA and offer the following list of resources:

• The United Ostomy Associations of America website lists resources in the USA. The link to that page is https://www.ostomy.org/emergency-supplies/. Please review this link prior to the following suggestions.
• United Ostomy Association of America (UOAA) website; this will help you locate a support group near you. https://www.ostomy.org/support-group-finder/. They may have a “supply closet” or know local resources.
• Contact a wound/ostomy clinic or hospital in your area to talk with an ostomy nurse. The nurse may have contacts for supplies.
• Major manufacturers may offer patient assistance programs to those who are uninsured and/or underinsured and meet income requirements. Eligibility is set by each company. Contact the manufacturer directly to learn if such a program is available and if you meet the eligibility criteria.
• Offerup.com, Craigslist, Facebook, etc. – sometimes people list ostomy supplies at a reduced rate or for free. Please note: we cannot vouch for their reliability, only that supplies are sometimes offered on their site.

Email our President at president@fowusa.org

We are a non-profit organization with a 501(c)(3) status and your donations may be tax-deductible.

• No. However once we receive the donation we cover the overseas shipping costs and there is no cost to the recipients.
• See the next section for ideas on sending supplies to us.

• Check to see if there is a local ostomy group near you for financial support. They may already collect supplies and ship them to us and may be able to include yours or perhaps help with the shipping cost. The following link will help you locate a local ostomy group – https://www.ostomy.org/support-group-finder/.
• Check with your WOC nurse because some clinics and hospitals send us ostomy products and yours could be included with theirs.
• Check with physicians, health professional groups, hospitals, your employer, and community organizations (such as the Lions Club and Rotary), and your religious community.
• If the donor needs to prioritize what supplies to send due to shipping costs we recommend one and two-piece flanges and pouches and barrier rings.
• See the next section – “Shipping Suggestions.”
• Our Partnership with UPS allows us to underwrite a major portion of shipping costs now. Please go to the UPS Flat Rate Shipping on our website for details.

• Place your name and address on both the outside and the inside of the carton so that we can send a letter of acknowledgment. This letter may be used for tax purposes.
• Take the items out of the box and put them in a plastic bag, squeeze out the air, seal and write the quantity on the bag. This will save on the weight and size of the carton.
• If you have the original product box, please put the end with the product information into the plastic bag.
• Shipping a large box is usually less expensive than shipping several small ones.
• United Parcel Service (UPS) gives a discount to AAA and AARP members. UPS ground is usually the most economical of their many options.
  US Postal Service (USPS) sells boxes with preset rates. You can take the box(es) home and see what fits. You do not pay for the box until you are ready to ship so you will not incur a cost taking the box home. You may want to place the heaviest items in that box and then put lighter-weight items in a separate box where you are charged per weight.

SHIP PRODUCTS TO:
FOW-USA
4018 BISHOP LANE
LOUISVILLE, KY 40218-4539

• We accept all items regardless of dates on packaging.
• We accept vendor samples.
• We accept loose flanges and pouches; the number of each does not need to match.

We work with a group similar to ours. We deliver the items that we cannot use to that non-profit organization.

• The National Council on Aging has great information about managing or donating medical supplies. https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/sleep/unused-medical-supplies/

Yes. The warehouse is open Monday – Friday from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. The address is 4018 Bishop Lane, Louisville, KY, and we are at the corner of Bishop Lane and Bittersweet Road. Our entrance is on Bittersweet Road. If the door is locked, please go to the front entrance of Lou Marks & Sons, Inc., and they will open up the side door and accept your donation.

A letter of acknowledgment is sent approximately two weeks after we receive the
shipment. If you have any questions write to info@fowusa.org.