About.

​Our goal is to improve the quality of life by providing walking aids to the economically disadvantaged.
We recycle devices donated from nursing homes, hospitals, and individuals nationwide and redistribute to those in need.

Mission Statement

​Get a Cane’s mission is to provide mobility aids to the economically disadvantaged, while spreading the spirit of conservation and promoting generosity.

Objectives
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 1. Give impoverished people access to ambulatory aids:
​Mobility is something humans often take for granted. Disability is particularly weakening for blue collar workers who may be unable to work due to their physical ailments. Get a Cane, in solidarity with such people, aims to provide expensive medical aids to those who cannot afford them.
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 2. Inspire the spirit of conservation:
​Billions of dollars worth of mobility devices are trashed every year. We want to prevent these perfectly usable items from going to the dumpster and instead put them in the hands of individuals who need them.
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 3. Promote Generosity:
We want to encourage a global community of givers. To foster this spirit of altruism and philanthropy, we provide the vehicle for magnanimity. Help us advance the spirit of charity by donating now.

About Our Founders 

Khush Kharidia
CEO/Founder

An undergraduate student at UC San Diego majoring in human biology, I cherish service opportunities and hence decided to volunteer at a local hospital. One day during my shift, I saw a fatigued elderly man walk haltingly into the atrium of the hospital. Seeing that he desperately needed help, I pulled out a spare wheelchair and requested he sit in it. The first words he spoke clung onto me as I walked him to his clinic: "Wish I could afford one of these." Upon returning to the atrium, the sheer number of walking aids that were present grabbed my attention as the man's words reverberated in my ears. I wondered, do these devices end up in the trash when they are no longer used? Or are there outlets to recycle them? Upon researching my questions, I learned that the unused walking devices were either trashed or hidden in some dark corner of a garage. The gap in the system was clear; while people struggled to obtain often expensive walking aids, many of these very devices were being tossed into dumpsters. We started Get a Cane in an attempt to breach this gap and bring the walking aids that would be discarded into the hands of those who needed them.

Nihar Mauskar
Senior Managerial Partner

When I was in high school, I volunteered at a food bank; on weekends I would go there and help sort food shoulder to shoulder with those who would receive it. Those weekends kindled a desire to help others, to make an impact on the lives of those I know and on the lives of those I've never met. Now, I'm an engineering student at the University of California, San Diego and I want to apply what I've learned in computer science to the realm of social good. One afternoon, Khush and I were discussing this idea of creating an organization that would bring walking aids to those who need them. Khush knew the medical side of things, and I could create a platform for these devices to be distributed. That's how it all started. We've founded Get a Cane to continue helping those in need and play our role in connecting technology with humanity.

Our San Diego Team

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Richard Ma
I always dreamt of one day making an impact in my community. I never thought I would help out so many patients! Being apart of this team has positively impacted my UCSD experience because I get to interact with authentic San Diego residents. Get A Cane now stands to assist patients in San Diego and in Los Angeles!
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Nathaniel Tsai

Bay Area Founder


Dhwani Kharidia 
Living in the Bay Area, I have witnessed a massive wealth gap with many individuals who have unused mobility devices in their homes, while there are others who struggle to obtain those exact devices. I have often noticed how some of my friends buy crutches for injuries, but afterwards the crutches just lie in some corner of their garage. Additionally, I have also experienced insurance problems in the past and have learned through research that many people struggle to obtain DME due to insurance policies. This inspired me to start the Bay Area Chapter of Get A Cane, as I want to ensure that usable devices are appropriately redistributed to those in need. However small it might be, I hope the donations I collect will help improve the quality of life of disabled, economically disadvantaged individuals in my community.

I would like to also recognize  staff members Clara Schultz, Thi Nguyen, Enya Liu, and Angelina Pham that have helped me in my mission in countless ways.