Forty-nine care home beds were recently replaced at Altona's Eastview Place, and the old beds will soon be on the way to Mumbai, India.

Robert Froese, Support Services with Southern Health-Santé Sud, says rather than having them sent to a scrap yard, they partnered with International Hope Canada, knowing the organization could help find a worthy purpose for the beds.

The 49 bed frames lined the parking lot of the personal care home, waiting to be loaded into a shipping container.Paul Stewart with International Hope Canada, says wanting to completely fill the 40-foot shipping container being sent to India, they were able to gather other supplies as well. He says they have a U-Haul coming loaded with other equipment that they got in Winnipeg from clinics, other hospitals, and individuals. Stewart says that will also be loaded into the shipment along with the 49 beds.

"To these countries, anything is better off than what they have. We've seen pictures of ones, where basically in the hospital, they're lying on a blanket on the ground. The lucky ones might have a mattress on the ground. To them, it's literally priceless."

Stewart notes because of the volunteers and donations they were able to put this shipment for India together in about a week, including finding the additional equipment.

International Hope Canada has been around for over 20 years, and has shipped just over 100 containers to less fortunate countries.

A volunteer prepares the bed frames for shipping.