Friday, February 5, 2016
Getting There Together
Here's our latest client profile/call for volunteers in the Renton area:
Getting There Together- One Mile at a Time
By Celeste Endlich
 |
| Rides from Volunteer Transportation provide a crucial lifeline for Yim. |
Longtime Renton resident
Yim Wong relies Volunteer Transportation to get to her medical appointments. After
undergoing a recent major surgery and dealing with multiple health challenges,
rides to the doctor are crucial for Yim. Volunteer Transportation, a service
for seniors provided by Sound Generations (Senior Services’ new name), utilizes
volunteers to drive seniors like Yim to and from their medical appointments. Yim
greatly appreciates the wonderful volunteer drivers who use their own vehicles
to make a meaningful impact in their communities, one mile at a time.
Transportation was a huge
burden in Yim’s life. While she has family in the area, her daughter Cindy is a
full time mother to young children and does not have access to a car during the
day to take her mother to the doctor. Therefore, Yim previously had to take a
taxi to her appointments and that cost at least $55 one way, eating up around
$110 of her limited income on transportation to one medical appointment. This
consumed her finances as she sometimes had multiple appointments a week. If
there was a bad traffic jam, this could sky rocket to $90 each way which was on
top of her existing medical expenses. “If you’re a senior, if you're retired,
how do you afford that?” she questions.
In addition to alleviating
financial stress, Volunteer Transportation also provided Yim with a social and
personalized experience. Since registering for the program in June, the service
has had a great impact on her life. Her daughter Cindy emphasized the
importance it has for her mother, “The program helps a lot; it takes her to and
from her appointments conveniently. And it's helpful if you really do need a
ride.”
Not only does the program
benefit the clients receiving rides, but it also benefits the volunteers, as it
is a fulfilling way to give back and support the community. Volunteer drivers
often report that they get back as much as they give to the program. The
program boasts many 20, 25, and even 30 year volunteer drivers, emphasizing the
positive experience on both sides.
Unfortunately, there are
not enough drivers to respond to the current demands for this service, especially
in the Renton area. Seniors like Yim are sometimes turned away because there are
simply not enough drivers to keep up with the community need. In the Renton
area the program is only able to give about 80% of the rides requested, meaning
more seniors are not making it to the life sustaining appointments they need.
More Volunteer drivers are
needed to lighten the load for local seniors. To learn more about volunteering
with Volunteer Transportation, please contact Hilary Case the Volunteer Recruitment
and Outreach Coordinator. She can be reached at 206.748.7588 or hilaryc@soundgenerations.org.
Help us go the extra mile to support our Renton seniors.
Friday, January 29, 2016
Small World Story: Friends of Friends
 |
| You never know who you'll meet on a ride! |
“My rider today went to high school with my college roommate and dear friend in a tiny town in Northern Wisconsin. Interesting how conversations get around to connections!”
Who knew that Northern Wisconsin networks would be extended to the Pacific Northwest through volunteer driving?!
Monday, January 25, 2016
Volunteer Transportation Client Profile: Lavonne Raven
Still Swinging
 |
| Lavonne never likes to sit for too long. |
That all changed when Lavonne was in a car accident in 2013. Her car was totaled, and her family decided to take away her keys for good. She no longer had the freedom to come and go as she pleased.
Lavonne is a perpetually positive person, but it was hard to see the bright side of this life development. “I lost my independence,” she explains.
As she adjusted to her new home-based routine, Lavonne discovered the Volunteer Transportation program. She felt very relieved to learn that the program’s volunteer drivers could take her to see her oncologist, urologist, chiropractor, physical therapist, audiologist and eye doctor. She was in good health for her age, but her calendar was full of recurring appointments. She wouldn’t have to miss out on her important medical care.
Over two years later, Lavonne continues to use Volunteer Transportation several times per month. She is very interesting in her own right, but she reports that one of her favorite things is learning about her volunteer drivers. “I love hearing about their lives! It’s like a day out for me. The drivers are all marvelous, and they all have such neat experiences to share,” she exclaims. She lists one volunteer driver who spends a lot of time on his large boat, another who is an avid cyclist and another who has gone on extensive motorcycling trips. She is able to live vicariously through their adventures.
Lavonne’s life may have changed since the loss of her car, but Volunteer Transportation allows her to hold on to her treasured independence. She says, “I truly do not know what I’d do without the program. It is just so wonderful.”
Volunteer Transportation helps Lavonne remain active, and she happily reports that she is still able to golf a full 18 holes. She isn’t able to hit the ball quite as far as she used to, and she doesn’t make it to the golf course as frequently as she’d like, but she still has an accurate swing.
Volunteer drivers ensure that Lavonne can maintain the good health and high spirits she needs to keep both on the go and on the green.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Volunteer Driver Heroism
Pat, a volunteer driver for over three years, took 93-year-old Beulah to a standard medical appointment earlier this month. After the appointment ended, Pat realized that Beulah did not seem like her normal self; something was just not quite right. She trusted her intuition and took Beulah to the emergency room. Pat kindly spent the day with her as they discovered the root of her illness and treated her for a serious health condition. Beulah writes, “My eternal gratitude for Pat’s consideration. She saved my life that day.”Thus, our volunteer drivers are lifesavers. Literally.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Story Time
Monique Ming Laven, KIRO 7 reporter and VolunteerTransportation driver, recently initiated a #SeattleAntifreeze campaign, an
effort to challenge Seattleites’ reputation for being chilly (AKA: the “Seattle
Freeze”). Motivated by the proactive and
compassionate response of many Seattleites after the Aurora Bridge crash, she
was determined to show the world that Seattleites are warm, caring, and dedicated
to helping one another. They are far
from frigid.
Monique has drawn from many of her volunteer driving
experiences for her #SeattleAntifreeze reflections. Like all Volunteer Transportation drivers,
she knows that each client has a story to tell.
She writes poignantly to tell the unique stories of the many seniors she has
met while giving them rides to their doctors.
Her narratives capture the personal connections of our program, so we’d
like to share some of them with you today.
Sit back, grab a cup of coffee/tea, and enjoy some Volunteer
Transportation-provided #SeattleAntifreeze!
#SeattleAntifreeze, Part 31: Decisions
It's not often that a divorce story makes you smile.
It's also not often you meet someone like Yoko.
I was lucky enough to drive her to her doctor today, and in
the few miles we covered, I learned a bit about the many miles she's traveled.
She told me how she obeyed all her husband's decisions for
more than 50 years. Those decisions moved them around the U.S., Japan, Scotland
... and she made a home wherever he laid down their hat.
She didn't give many more details about perhaps being
mistreated - or definitely being taken for granted. But she did tell me that
six years ago, he ordered her to pick up stakes and move again. She told me she
finally refused to "be under his thumb." She wouldn't leave her life
in Seattle. It was home. And so, at the age of 82, she got a divorce.
When he needed assistance a few years later, she was right
there, helping move him into an assisted living facility. Their divorce was not
about giving up on a marriage. It was about not giving up on life. Now she
lives it on her own terms. She is making her own decisions.
Being a single senior without children is no walk in the
park. "I'm getting older every day," she said with a laugh as she
slowly got out of my car.
She shoved some cash in my hand. I protested and told her I
am a volunteer for King County Senior Services. I didn't want her money.
But her 93 lb. body has a steel spine, and she would not
take it back.
Our compromise: I would pass it along to someone else who
could use it.
88-year-old Yoko may have to accept some help, but she's not
too old to give some herself. It's her decision.
#SeattleAntifreeze, Part 30: New Day
His Ukrainian accent is strong, but his meaning was unmistakable: He is a man who honors his vows.
I learned a little about the strength and endurance of Mr.
Fedorowicz's loyalty today. It was the second time I picked him up while
driving for King County Senior Services. The first was several weeks ago. I
thought I took him to a medical appointment. But as we headed in that same
direction today, I said I hoped this time the doctor would be able to help him.
"I am not going to doctor," he said.
He sensed I was confused as I double-checked the address.
"I am going to see my wife," he clarified. Then he
told me we were headed for her nursing facility. He visits every day.
"I feed her lunch," he said as he demonstrated how
he holds the spoon. It was a quick, simple gesture, but I couldn't help but
notice his gnarled fingers, some of them partially missing. Perhaps lost during
his time as a child in a World War II labor camp -- maybe from other difficult
experiences in his long life. Now they're dedicated to performing this simple
but profound service.
I asked how his wife is doing and about their hopes or plans
for the new year.
He smiled, and put his hand on my arm. "She is 94. We
live day by day. Every time I come, I do not know what will happen. But she
still knows me. That is good."
He smiled again and then headed inside, as he did yesterday,
and as he will do tomorrow.
No need for Mr. Fedorowicz to look ahead to 2016.
He is simply wishing for a Happy New Day.
#SeattleAntifreeze, Part 27: The Frail Mask
Mr. Fedorowicz was born in Ukraine, but he didn't spend his childhood there. He didn't have much of a childhood at all. He was a child of war.Ukraine has a complicated WWII history. Russia invaded, which threw some Ukrainian soldiers on the side of Germany. Others fought both the Red Army and the Nazis. For most, it wasn't about politics, it was about survival.
So it was for Mr. Fedorowicz. As a little boy, he was forced to work in labor camps. He was no child; he was a mule. But he survived.
Eventually he found his way to Rhode Island, then here to Seattle. And today, into my car.
I gave him a ride to his doctor's appointment, and in those few minutes, this lovely 80-something year-old man was kind enough to share some of his life with me. As he got out, he struggled a bit to properly plant his cane on the sidewalk.
He didn't have any issues with his balance. He was just preoccupied, explaining to me how thankful he was that a stranger helped him get to the doctor.
I was glad he didn't see me get a little teary-eyed. Instead, he kept talking. "I'll tell you a secret," he said, as I leaned in. "Getting old sucks!"
We shared a laugh as he shuffled toward his doctor's office. And I was reminded again that frailty often masks the most incredible strength.
#SeattleAntifreeze, Part 13: The Perfect Point of View
How does Eileen stay so healthy and energetic? "I never got married," she tells me with a glimmer in her eye and a smile, "but I sure have dated a lot!"Today I got to be Eileen's date on the way to her doctor's office. She told me all about the benefits of holistic medicine, yoga, and a positive attitude. I'd only driven her once before -- and that was countless months ago. Still, when she saw me, she gave me a big, fat smile, and an even bigger hug.
Then during our trip through downtown Seattle, she filled me in on how much weight a construction crane can bear; how big the cab of a crane is; how long it takes for the average worker to climb up to the cab.
How does she know all
this? There's a phase of construction going on right outside her window that'll
last for a couple weeks. Each day the crew fires up at FIVE IN THE MORNING.
Ugh.
The construction company came to her building to address residents' concerns. No doubt they were prepared for complaints and abuse.
The construction company came to her building to address residents' concerns. No doubt they were prepared for complaints and abuse.
Instead, Eileen met them
with curiosity and encouragement.
"But, Eileen," I said, "doesn't the noise and dust drive you nuts?!"
"Well, it's not their fault. And besides, I like looking out my window and seeing things being built," she said. Then with another smile and glimmer, she pointed at herself, "For years I've had a front row view of things falling apart."
#SeattleAntifreeze, Part 12: My Spoonful of Sugar
Nothing turns me into a witch out of hell like getting stuck in traffic. Except when my car *dies* in traffic.A few weeks ago, I was driving for King County Senior Services, and I was headed to give a ride home to a man named Mr. Finley. We'd never met. I just knew he was finishing up a round of chemotherapy. Not an easy morning for him.
I was scooting along to Virginia Mason, when all of a sudden I saw lights and sirens.
An SPD patrol car pulled into the intersection right in front of me. Then it parked. In the middle of the street.
China's President Xi was in town, and the streets were blocked so he could head from downtown to the East Side. I left a message with Mr. Finley's doctor. And we all waited. And waited. And waited.
After almost an hour, the street finally reopened. Yay! I went to turn my car on. No yay. Nothing. Except the people in back of me honking.
Some drivers finally helped me push my car to the side of the road. I started dialing AAA. Then my phone died. Luckily a wonderful police officer helped me jump my car. But by the time I got to the hospital dear Mr. Finley had been waiting about 90 minutes.
I was angry, embarrassed, repentant. "Mr. Finley, I am so very sorry you had to wait so long. I know this is not an easy morning for you, and instead of helping you, I made the morning more difficult."
Without hesitation, Mr. Finley tucked his cane into my car, turned and patted my hand, and said, "Young lady, don't you worry a second. Every day I have is a blessing."
I was his ride - but he was my medicine.
We are excited to read more inspiring stories as Monique continues on her humanizing quest. More about Monique and her #SeattleAntifreeze movement can be found on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MoniqueKIRO7.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
About Me
- Volunteer Transportation
- “Behind the Wheel” offers stories, reflections, news and updates about Sound Generations’ (formerly Senior Services') Transportation Program. Throughout King County, our inspiring volunteers provide needed mobility to local seniors, supporting them in their efforts to remain independent, healthy, and happy. Please drop by to read more about the unique experiences of our volunteers, clients and staff!