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
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| 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.
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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!