Donald Benedict, Lead Transportation Coordinator, has worked for Volunteer Transportation for 16 years (and Senior Services for 24 years).  On a normal weekday, he can be found answering phone lines, contacting volunteers, taking down ride requests, and completing all of the necessary work to ensure that King County seniors get the valuable transportation they need.  He recently had the rare opportunity, however, to escape from the confines of the office and tag along with Lynne McCaslin (volunteer driver) and Janine Parks (regular Volunteer Transportation client) as they completed the typical ride routine.  



Donald enjoyed his Ride Along experience.   He loved how naturally Lynne and Janine interacted with one another and gained even more respect for our volunteer drivers!  It was a great reminder of why he and the other Transportation Coordinators work so hard to make rides happen-- week after week, year after year.

The Volunteer Transportation program has over 400 volunteer drivers throughout King County, and we put forth our best efforts to ensure that they are all satisfied and well-supported as they provide valuable rides for King County seniors.  Our talented Transportation Coordinators have skillfully perfected the art of working with each volunteer individually, taking into account his/her abilities, preferences, and interests.  This may seem overwhelming to those of us indirectly involved with the coordinating process, but they make it look easy.

The extra attention that they place on honoring each driver’s changing realities is what makes this volunteer role such a great fit for so many people.  One current volunteer driver recently shared the following with us in an email, “As soon as I read about your program, I felt like it would be a perfect fit. One of the reasons it is so cool is because you are so accommodating to the drivers' needs. Now if all ‘bosses’ were like that, people would sure like their jobs a lot more!” 

Thus, Volunteer Transportation is not a ‘one size fits all’ volunteer opportunity.   We recognize that each driver is different, and his/her life is constantly evolving.   Flexibility is our key to success.  If you know someone who would value this type of fluid volunteer work, please send him/her our way!  We are always in need of more drivers, and our careful Transportation Coordinators would be happy to work with each new volunteer’s unique life circumstances. 

Over the last month, you may have heard a new voice over the Volunteer Transportation phone lines.  It’s now time to make some introductions.  Jacob Sperati joined the Volunteer Transportation crew as the South King County Scheduler on Dec 10, 2012.  A Delaware native and St. Olaf College graduate, he has called Washington home since 2006 and brings with him a wealth of experience working with seniors, volunteers, and transportation programs.  In previous positions, Jacob coordinated volunteer drivers for Chicken Soup Brigade and trained and scheduled the bus drivers for Holden Village in Chelan, Washington. 

Most recently, Jacob spent 2012 working as a driver for three Seattle area retirement homes-- giving him firsthand experience with the highs and lows of providing the extra helping hand for seniors while negotiating the frustrating Seattle traffic.   He couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with Senior Services and have a deeper impact on the greater King County community.

When not working on connecting local seniors with vital transportation, Jacob rings hand bells with the Emerald City Ringers, and is an avid hiker-- having walked 2,600 miles from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. He is preparing to climb Mt. Rainier in August. 



The "puzzle" starts to come together with detailed notes about driver availabilities in the upcoming week.

Unfortunately, there are no clear-cut formulas, systems, or programs for determining who will drive whom as the weekly ride requests accumulate.  Our Transportation Coordinators rely on their brainpower and critical thinking skills to take many factors into account as they pair clients with drivers, craftily putting together the “jigsaw puzzle” of ride assignments.   They must look at the locations of the clients, volunteers, and appointments; honor the preferences, availabilities, and abilities of our volunteers; recognize the limitations of our clients; prioritize rides for clients who need our services the most; and ensure that as many people as possible can receive our services.  

Rides are highlighted once driving assignments are confirmed.