Auburn circa 1920.

When Lee (volunteer driver) took Marie and Roy Petersen to an eye doctor appointment, they certainly had a lot to talk about!  Marie and Roy, both 93, have known Lee and his family for many decades, and they’d often crossed paths in Auburn.   Marie had frequently volunteered for various community programs with Lee’s mother, Elaine, and Lee had carpeted the Petersen’s home and cabin for over thirty years prior to his recent retirement.  Marie was happy to see a familiar face and commented, “It was so nice to see him again!”

Lee, Marie and Roy all know a lot of local history.  Lee was born and raised in Auburn; Marie moved to Auburn in 1943; and Roy was born in Algona (Auburn’s neighbor) in 1921.  Community involvement is important to all of them.  Although they’ve seen the area change a great deal over the years, their reconnection demonstrates that Auburn still can have that “small town” feel at times.

The Volunteer Transportation program is full of such serendipitous reunions, and volunteers and clients often discover many commonalities.  This inspires a possible new tagline for the program:  See what worlds collide during a ride!