Clients and volunteers of the Volunteer Transportation program never know what connections they’ll discover through their conversations.  Here is one such small world story that was shared with us by Barbara H., volunteer driver:

“Today I picked up a lady I had not given a ride to before, and she looked familiar.  I asked her if she had worked at the University of Washington (where I had worked) and she had.  Turns out, I knew her when she was the secretary to the Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics on the 3rd floor of the RR wing of Health Sciences at the same time I was secretary to the Head of the Division of Neonatology in the same department, located on the 4th floor.  She was a bit more wrinkled but otherwise by golly she was the same!  She remembered me and we reminisced and caught up on all the gossip that we were aware of, even though it had been almost 25 years since we had seen each other!  Made for a very pleasant ride for both of us!”

It’s amazing how many shared experiences, crossed paths, or commonalities can be uncovered in a short trip to the doctor’s!

"Geraldine’s daughter called the Hyde Shuttle client line and asked us to schedule her mother to come for lunch at the River Rock restaurant. I knew the rider and knew that she didn’t go to that restaurant , so I wanted to clarify that she wasn’t going to the Senior Center…  I then learned that the daughter was throwing her a surprise 99th birthday party!!  She had invited her past neighbors and coworkers from the community, including many Rotarians and other nonprofit friends with whom she’d worked.  Geraldine uses a wheelchair and rides on our shuttle because she can comfortably travel without having to transfer in and out of the car…PLUS…her daughter was trying to keep this all secret!  I was able to accommodate the request and hope that they had a memorable and enjoyable celebration.”

Dennis B., a volunteer driver, shared the following story with us:

ONE OF A KIND: Volunteer Transportation Client Brings Life to Rides

Meet Jay.  He has lived a very full life.  Prior to retiring as a Boeing engineer in 1995,he once oversaw the complete rebuilding of a plane that had landed on its belly in New Delhi.

It’s easy to talk with Jay Surati, a volunteer driver with Senior Services’ Volunteer Transportation program. He is a wealth of knowledge in a variety of topics; he’s full of fascinating stories; and there’s a notable sense of sincerity, warmth, and spirit behind every statement he makes.  Yet, since volunteering for the VT program in 1996, Jay’s discussions with clients have served as much more than just friendly banter.  These important dialogues have fostered meaningful learning and provided for increased cultural understanding.

Jay is from India.  This is just one layer of his multi-faceted identity, but it comes up very quickly in conversation with passengers --  “as soon as they hear my accent!” he notes.  Typical exchanges include the following questions:
• “Where are you from?” Jay says with a sly smile, ““I always make them guess.  Some of them get it right, but I usually joke and tell them I’m from Italy!”
• “Do you know of any good local Indian restaurants?”  Jay knows of several.
• “Do you know this other specific East Indian volunteer driver?(The mathematician?  The retired teacher?  The musician?  The one with the GPS?”). Jay usually can figure out who it is.  In fact, Jay recruited several of the program’s other Indian volunteer drivers!
• “How do you speak English so well?”  Jay laughs at this last one.  He explains that Indian children begin speaking English in school at a very young age.

But then there are the conversations of a more memorable nature.  He was once taken aback by a 90-year-old woman who was eager to hear his opinions about the current prime minister elections of his home country oh-so-far-away.  With so many television viewing options, he was impressed that she had become engrossed in Indian politics and wanted to learn more from him.

Jay also recalls a particularly poignant moment shortly after September 11, 2001.  In the climate of fear following the attacks, he drove a blind client who expressed true concern for him.  She’d heard tales of dark-skinned men experiencing discrimination, and she wanted to help.  Even though she could not see Jay, she was worried that his foreign origins would make him a target.  He was deeply moved by her empathy and compassion. 

Throughout each of these individual interactions, Jay knows that he is representing his cultural group and helping others to “know who we are.”  He says, “Maybe someday, one of these clients will tell her grandchildren, ‘This kind fellow from India gave me a ride.’” 

Jay believes that the program has “made my life very rich.”  His volunteer work with Senior Services (first with Meals and Wheels and then the Volunteer Transportation Program) even inspired him to take on other outreach projects with the East Indian community, including a lunch program in Redmond.  Furthermore, it has taught him about the process of “aging gracefully in American culture.”

Jay is evidence of the give-and-take nature volunteer driving.  Even though he asserts that he “does more taking than giving,” it is clear that it is a mutual, reciprocal process.

Jay labels his work as “building bridges.”   Person by person and word by word, he “talks” his way through differences and misconceptions to a place of powerful cross-cultural respect.

"I was driving a senior with limited vision who had a service animal.  We were sitting in the doctor's waiting room (for over an hour!) when she asked me: "Do you know if there is any grass around here?"  My immediate thought was that I have had some pretty strange requests from clients--but being asked to make a drug deal was a new one.  So, I said, "Marijuana?" She collapsed in laughter.  Turns out she just wanted me to take the service dog for a pee as we had been waiting so long. I did!"

By Joyce Foy, Kirkland Driver

Taking time to appreciate the moment.

Volunteer driving for Senior Services has been quite an experience, and one ride in particular will stay with me forever.

I picked Frances up in Kirkland and drove her to her scheduled doctor appointment.  On the way home she asked if I would mind if we swung by a new French bakery in town.

It was one of “those days” for me – my to-do list was a mile long and my first thought was, “No way, I just don’t have the time.”  But then I decided, “Well, it’s only a couple of miles out of the way, how long could it take?”

When we arrived at the bakery I parked the car and helped her into the store with her walker.  Instead of getting something to go, as I had assumed she would, she ordered a French pastry and coffee and offered to buy me whatever I wanted.

Uh oh, this wasn’t going to be a real quick stop.  I began to mentally reschedule my plans for the day.

The bakery was packed and all seats were taken.  Even though Frances was using a walker, no one volunteered a seat.  Wondering how she could eat balancing French pastry, coffee and a walker, we decided to go outside where there were some chairs set up on the sidewalk.  We scooted our chairs up to a retaining wall which became our makeshift table.

Frances was amazing.  She was so appreciative of everything.  It was a sunny but cold day.  Frances saw the sunshine.  She remarked on the birds eating nearby and the flowers that were so pretty, the delicious pastry, and the great coffee.  She never mentioned the goose bumps we were both experiencing from the chilly temperature or the fact that no one offered her a seat inside.

We sat and talked and enjoyed each others’ company.  My to-do list wouldn’t get done, but it didn’t seem to matter much now.  Frances was so happy just to be out and doing something new, and I was feeling quite blessed to be in the company of someone so positive.

At last, it was time to go.  She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, “I can’t thank you enough.  This meant the world to me.  Tomorrow I will turn 92, and this is my birthday celebration.”

My to-do list lost all its importance and I hugged my new friend.

The following was recounted by a regular, long-term client of the Volunteer Transportation program:

“There’s one particular driver who takes me to many of my appointments.  Each time he picks me up at my home, he consistently insists on carrying my purse as he helps me get down the driveway and into the car.  I usually have a bright pink purse that is hard to miss.  Unfailingly, he poses and asks me teasingly, ‘Am I color-coordinated?’  Every single time, I tell him, ‘You’re always color-coordinated!’  It’s our ongoing joke as he opens the car door for me.” 

I like the imagery that this story produces: a senior being gently escorted as she leaves her home, a volunteer and client laughing together, and a driver kindly opening the car door for his fragile passenger.  “Opening doors” is an apt metaphor for this program.  We strive to help seniors get out and about-- and hope to make them laugh in the process (pink purses and color coordination are not required!).

**Please note: We are always on the lookout for great stories from members of the Transportation Program community.  Please send any ideas to hilaryc@seniorservices.org.

Our interactive display

By Hilary Case

On the constant quest to meet the volunteer needs of the Transportation Program, my role as Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator can lead me to a variety of unique settings throughout King County.  This week, it took me to the Burien Farmers’ Market.  Although the chilly temperatures had my spirits a bit low, they were soon lifted as I met proponents of the program.  Clients and volunteers alike surfaced to remind me of what it’s all about.

One pair of women, who informed me that they use both the Hyde Shuttle and Volunteer Transportation services, came to shake my hand and thank me for being a part of such an “important and helpful program.”  I also had the opportunity to talk with current volunteers, who explained why they find giving rides to be so gratifying.  Larry Moormeier, who has served with Volunteer Transportation for over ten years, shared about recently giving a ride to an inspiring 99-year-old client.  It was easy to promote these volunteer opportunities after unexpectedly receiving such positive feedback from people who know them well.

Larry Moormeier, “incognito” Volunteer Transportation driver, out and about at the Burien Farmers' Market

All in all, it was a successful day.  I left with a warm and happy heart.

**Note: We are always seeking more ways to spread the word about Transportation Program volunteer opportunities.  If you have any volunteer outreach ideas, please contact Hilary at hilaryc@seniorservices.org.