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Sara Markowitz takes community service a few steps further than your typical 14-year-old student wrapping up 8th grade.

While most of her peers focused on volunteer work with special-needs children, that wasn't the right fit for Sara. Instead, after hearing from her father, a doctor, about how hard it was for his elderly patients to afford medical equipment, she tackled the problem head-on by coming up with her own charity.

Out of their home in Ocean Township since last June, Sara and her mother, Meryl, run an effort called Generations ElderCare by distributing walkers, wheelchairs, shower chairs, beds, and other items to senior citizens in Monmouth and Ocean counties who cannot afford them once they come home from the hospital. The Markowitz family receives donations from local assisted living facilities, rehabilitation centers, and individual patients who no longer need the equipment.

"I noticed that Medicare wouldn't cover things and people couldn't afford co-pays (for medical equipment)," Sara told The Jewish State. "You get this great feeling because people are very thankful for you. I like to hear that they can live independently with this equipment, and I get this feeling of joy when I hear that I made people happy."

Meryl said that Sara has always been a giving person, recalling how she would show employees at a thrift shop exactly how her old toys worked before giving them away. Now studying at Shalom Torah Academy in Morganville, Sara exhibits her poise as the de facto spokesperson of the Generations ElderCare, helping secure donations by writing letters and speaking at local events.

"When people hear her speak, they are wowed," Meryl said. "They say things like 'this girl should run for office.' They are amazed at what she can do and how she can deliver something."

"I don't really get nervous and I think I do a very good job," Sara said.

Meryl, who runs the business side of the charity, said that her basement is currently filled with close to 100 pieces of medical equipment. Ironically, while getting donations hasn't been an issue for the organization, finding patients to take the equipment is an ongoing challenge because people are often suspicious of taking the supplies for free.

"It is hard to get through to social workers and nursing home directors to tell them that there is no catch," Meryl said.

David Terlizzi, PT, director of rehabilitation at Kimball Medical Center in Lakewood and one of Generation ElderCare's consistent givers, said taking free equipment usually exists outside of a hospital setting.

"Patients already think the hospitals charge enough, but with this charity you have to explain why it's being done and how it works," Terlizzi said. "Everyone is afraid of lawsuits, so we are wasting so much material."

Since Terlizzi's medical center is not allowed to sell medical equipment and also cannot give out used equipment, Generations ElderCare serves as a key third party by re-distributing equipment that otherwise would have been wasted. Instead of the elderly, Terlizzi often finds a need for equipment among younger post-surgery patients who only require temporary assistance.

"A lot of people can't afford the equipment and only need something like a walker for a week or two," he said. "This helps people save money and gets them going again."

Generations ElderCare tries to frame donations as lending rather than charity, Meryl said, in order to preserve the pride of patients.

As an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) tax exempt charity, all donations to Generations ElderCare are tax deductible. Meryl networks with Monmouth County's assisted living association by asking them when someone passes away or simply doesn't want their medical equipment, then distributes the equipment herself. Expenses such as liability insurance for the equipment sometimes create financial difficulties.

"We would love to be able to grow out of the house and have a warehouse, but we are here right now and we want this to work," Meryl said.

Anne Pagnoni, director of marketing at Kensington Court Assisted Living in Tinton Falls and another consistent giver to Generations ElderCare, said that the charity is so critical locally because it is otherwise virtually impossible to find the time and resources to distribute equipment to community members.

As most of the charity's publicity takes place through word-of-mouth, Pagnoni said that is a strategy which should eventually lead to significant growth over time.

"Sometimes it just takes time to develop these relationships (in the medical community)," Pagnoni said. "The more interactions they have with (Meryl), they will learn to trust her and feel comfortable accepting donations."

Ultimately, the long-term future of the charity could lie in the hands of Sara, its young but ambitious founder.

"It is really amazing that (Sara) is so young and has such a huge heart," Terlizzi said. "It's great to see a 14-year-old caring about other people and then making it happen."

"The fact that a 14-year-old saw this problem and addressed it is just phenomenal," Pagnoni said.

Then again, Sara's efforts might show that age isn't much of a factor at all.

"It doesn't matter how old you are. If you want to accomplish something, it actually can be done," Meryl said.

If you wish to donate medical equipment of make a monetary donation to Generations ElderCare, call (732) 829-2818. Donations can also be mailed to Generations ElderCare, P.O. Box 929, Lakewood, N.J., 08701.