December 24, 2010: “PETs Provide Options”

By Jeanne Smith Special to the Sentinel

McPherson, Kan. — PET-Kansas was born around Kirby and Chris Goering’s kitchen table in Moundridge in 2005 when friend and former missionary, Larry Hills from Africa, asked Kirby a poignant question: “Would you be willing to establish a Personal Energy Transportation shop, that is, a PET shop, here in Kansas?”  [Read Full Story]

November 2010: Alternative Christmas Gift Market Photos

Christine Goering gives a little girl a ride in a PET at the Alternative Christmas Gift Market in McPherson, KS. (Photo Credit: Bob Dell)

PET at Alternative Christmas Gift Market (Photo Credit: Bob Dell)

Kirby talks with an Alternative Christmas Gift Market guest about PETs.

PET-Kansas board member Lois Neher (left) and Kirby Goering (right) from PET-Kansas look on while a potential donor checks out a PET at McPherson’s Alternative Christmas Gift Market. (Photo Credit: Bob Dell)

November 10, 2010: Honduras Recycling Man Seen on PET

PET provides recycling income

“This young man drives his PET from Pimienta to Villanueva on the highway most days trying to find things for recycling. Notice the soda cans.” Report from Washington Overseas Mission in Washington, MO [This PET produced by PET Kansas and distributed in March 2010 Honduras trip.]

November 7, 2010: “Giving a PET for Christmas?”

By Chris Hunter, Salina Journal

Velita Larson knew exactly what she was looking to get family members for Christmas at the Alternative Christmas Gift Market on Sunday, but none of the major box stores had the gift…[read full story]

October 2010: PET Kansas Grows!

New Addition Provides PET Assembly, Painting, and Storage Area

Chris on PET - unfinished facility

Chris on PET – unfinished facility

After years of operating PET-Kansas out of Kirby’s muffler shop, a larger area was needed for building PETs. For many years generous people provided space to store finished PETs in barns, garages, etc. Recently, Keith Timmermeyer of Peabody gave us a building to enlarge the shop. We also purchased a container at very reasonable cost to store the PETs before shipment.

Thanks to many of you who have generously been part of this exciting endeavor. Our desire is to serve Jesus Christ by providing mobility to many of God’s needy children. If you can help with costs of the PET-Kansas’ facility and its mission, it will be very much appreciated. [Read full article/all pictures]

July 29, 2010: “Volunteers donate wheelchairs, supplies overseas”

By Jenae Pauls, Sentinel intern.  The McPherson Sentinel

Volunteer organizations Trash to Treasure of McPherson and Personal Energy Transportation of Moundridge met Tuesday to collaborate donation efforts. Trash to Treasure, a workshop that transforms donated materials and gives away the new creations, contributed 84 hand-sewn backpacks to the organization better known as P.E.T. They were specially designed to attach to the back rest of the chairs, which are constructed from donated materials by director Kirby Goering and other volunteers. Once a year, a team travels down to Honduras to personally give them to needy locals. Many of them have become immobile due to landmines or illnesses. [Read Full Story]

December 2009: “For me, Christmas Came in April This Year”

By Jeanne Jacoby Smith, McPherson, KS

Previously published in The McPherson Sentinel, McPherson, KS, Dec. 2009

For the next several days, McPherson resident Jeanne Smith will share her experience with PET-Kansas to deliver Personal Energy Transportation wheelchairs (PETs) to Honduras in April 2009. Kirby and Christine Goering from Moundridge, Kansas, operate the nonprofit charity.

DAY 1: For me, Christmas came early, in April, this year.[Read DAY1]

DAY 2: After our rendezvous with the Pacific last night, we left Tegucigalpa and traveled in darkness to Choluteca, the fifth largest city in Honduras. [Read DAY2]

DAY 3: As we left Choluteca, we circumambulated the Sierras de Agalta.[Read DAY3]

DAY 4: As I relaxed by our wood stove during the snowstorm last week, I “re-membered” Christmas as it happened to me when I traveled with PET-Kansas’ to Honduras this year. [Read DAY4]

DAY 5: On Sunday evening our group from PET-Kansas left Santa Lucia with plans to deliver Personal Energy Transportation wheelchairs, or PETs, in Siguetepeque.[Read DAY5]

DAY 6: We were tired, all of us, this last day. I contemplated our journey of one long week.[Read DAY6]

DAY 7: We arrived in Tegucigalpa with one day to go, tired but excited as we anticipated our journey home.[Read DAY7]

March 24, 2009: “Volunteers assemble, send wheelchairs to Honduras”

By Jeanne Jacoby Smith, McPherson, KS

Previously published in The McPherson Sentinel, McPherson, KS, March 24, 2009

MOUNDRIDGE- Last week, 13 volunteers from McPherson County joined Kirby and Chris Goering, proprietors of the non-profit PET-Kansas in Moundridge, to load 175 PETs – Personal Energy Transportation wheelchairs -into a semi en route to Honduras. The truck began its 1,700-mile journey to Honduras by way of Houston. The wheelchairs will be distributed at several missions in Honduras next month.[Read Full Story]

After years of operating PET-Kansas out of Kirby’s muffler shop, a larger area was needed for building PETs. For many years generous people provided space to store finished PETs in barns, garages, etc. Recently, Keith Timmermeyer of Peabody gave us a building to enlarge the shop. We also purchased a container at very reasonable cost to store the PETs before shipment.

Thanks to many of you who have generously been part of this exciting endeavor. Our desire is to serve Jesus Christ by providing mobility to many of God’s needy children. If you can help with costs of the PET-Kansas’ facility and its mission, it will be very much appreciated.