P.E.T. Florida News & Events
MISSION:
MOBILITY
In the News: P.E.T. Florida Media Spotlight
UpComing Events
Mobility Worldwide Annual Conference
Join us October 1–3, 2026, for the Mobility Worldwide Annual Conference, hosted by Penney Retirement Community as part of its Centennial Celebration. The conference will be held at 3495 Hoffman Street, Penney Farms, FL 32079.News Reels
P.E.T. Florida in the News
Welcome to our media spotlight page, where we share the latest news coverage and updates on P.E.T. Florida’s initiatives and achievements. Our dedicated efforts in animal rescue, rehabilitation, and education continue to make a positive impact on communities across Florida. Stay informed with featured stories, press releases, and exclusive interviews that highlight our mission and the remarkable stories of the animals we save. Discover how P.E.T. Florida is transforming lives, advocating for animal welfare, and inspiring the public to join our cause. Explore this page for an inside look at our work, accomplishments, and the voices that champion our cause in the media.
Retirees give the gift of mobility
Members of the Penney Retirement Community work at PET — or Personal Energy Transportation, where they build carts for people all over the world who are unable to walk.
Volunteers build carts to help with people who can’t walk
PENNEY FARMS, Fla. (News Nation) — A group of Florida retirees are volunteering their time to give the gift of mobility to the world.
At Penney Retirement Community, volunteers spend hours a day cutting, sanding and building three-wheeled hand-powered carts known as personal energy transportation carts. So far, the volunteers have built 13,000 carts. The mobility carts have been delivered to 106 countries.
PETs were first produced in Missouri by Larry Hills, but when Hills moved to Florida in 2001, he started working on carts in Clay County.
Sid Rooy, 95, has been a volunteer since the beginning. He says the support the three-wheeled vehicles give others is priceless.
“Now they can support themselves. They can start their own business, they can get married, they can have children, and they can support their families. It just gives a new lease on life,” he said on “Morning in America.”
He adds, “We come to retirement, but we don’t retire, we really just keep working. And I think the more we invest ourselves in the work that produces these and gives other people an opportunity for life, the stronger we feel, and more encouraged we are.”
“I never dreamt that I would live to 95. But every day is a gift the good Lord gives us and we use it invest it, and have a great time doing it,” Rooy said.
It costs roughly $350 for materials to build each PET cart, and the organization is a nonprofit run by volunteers.
Donate to the cause!
Group of retirees from Clay County is giving the gift of mobility to the world
PENNEY FARMS, Fla. — It’s a basic human function that many of us take for granted, but across the world, nearly 20 million people deal with serious mobility issues. From paralysis to polio and even the loss of limbs from stepping on landmines in war-torn countries, walking isn’t an option for many people.
From the road, it looks like your average retirement community along Route 16 west of Green Cove Springs. But inside of Penney Farms is a shop that is changing lives around the world.
“Do as much as you can for as many as you can for as long as you can,” said Penney Farms PET Florida volunteer, Dave Quirk, “…that’s what this whole place is about, is helping others.”
Comprised entirely of volunteers, these retirees spend hours a day cutting, sanding and building Personal Energy Transportation carts (PET carts), that when completed, can be powered by a seated person with no electricity. It’s the work of volunteers in Florida that give the gift of mobility to people all across the world.
PETs were first produced in Missouri by a man named Larry Hills, but when Hills moved to Florida in 2001, he started working on carts in Clay County. Ninety-five-year-old Sid Rooy has been a volunteer with the Penney Farms group since day 1.
“It’s a blessing to be able to provide a new lease on life for people who are immobile,” said Rooy.
PETs have been delivered to 106 countries over the past two decades and the group is closing in on completing their 13,000th cart.
“It doesn’t just help 13,000 people,” said Rooy, “it helps probably 100,000, maybe more because it affects a family, it affects a people.”
HELP WANTED
We offer a variety of volunteer opportunities that cater to many skill sets and interests. If you already have experience in one of our areas of need – great – but many of our jobs don’t require any. Here are the jobs we we need filling:
Woodworking: cutting, sanding & drilling
Painting: brushing and rolling wooden parts
Powder Coating: spraying and baking metal parts
Sewing: seat cushions
Welding: (experience preferred, but we can train)
Bagging Hardware
Assembling & Packing
Building maintenance
Office
Fundraising & Promotion: Newsletters, events, presentations, digital media
Meeting Our Mobility Mission Since 2001
Carts Built
$ Raised
People blessed (avg. driver & family)
We've Raised over $4,600,000 to Help Provide Mobility Around the World
How Your Donations Can Make a Difference
PET Florida Penney Farms is committed to transforming lives by providing mobility solutions to individuals with disabilities worldwide. By making a donation, you can play a vital role in empowering those who lack access to wheelchairs or other mobility aids, enabling them to live fuller, independent lives. Your contribution can help bring mobility—and hope—to countless individuals.
Get in Touch! Get Involved!
Volunteer! Donate!
Join us at P.E.T. Florida Penney Farms in making a life-changing difference in the lives of those unable to walk. Whether you want to volunteer your time, make a donation, or simply learn more about our programs, your support helps us to continue with our mission of mobility. Together, we become a community of caring, enabling more people to experience independent and productive lives. Get involved today and help us make that lasting impact!
Get in Touch
Phone: (904) 284-5495
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Volunteers Needed
4566 Lewis Avenue
Penney Farms, FL 32079
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A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE." REGISTRATION# CH76935
P.E.T. Florida - Penney Farms LLC is a 501(c) Non-Profit Organization
