Today's pick-me-up comes from a letter we received from a long-term Volunteer Transportation client.  It reads:

I am extremely grateful for this very efficient and important service.  It has helped keep me healthy!  Staying independent is my main goal today & your service is very important in reaching that goal.  You're the best!  Safe and friendly drivers do a great job!

Safety, independence, health, friendliness, and client satisfaction-- she certainly summarizes all that we aspire to provide with our program!

Frank and Sadie Yamasaki are regular passengers on the Hyde Shuttle, but, once upon a time, Frank was an art student who had grown tired of the standard, cookie cutter art subjects often selected by professors.   “An artist always looks for something interesting—something out of the ordinary,” he says.   Concurrently, Sadie was a young paralegal who’d been persuaded by her office co-workers to serve as a model for a Seattle art class.  “They told me they’d take me out for drinks afterward,” she explains.  She walked into Frank’s classroom and broke the mold of the typical art model—catching Frank’s eye.   Frank and Sadie have been married for 62 years.

“Interesting” is certainly a term that would describe Frank and Sadie’s many years together.   In their younger days, they filled their time with entertaining, ballroom dancing, involvement with the Buddhist community and family activities.  Frank even had the opportunity to serve as the Art Director of an Academy Award-winning documentary.   They shared a love of food, family, music, art, people and life.

The wheelchair lift makes it easy for Frank to take the shuttle,and Sid  (volunteer driver) ensures that he is safe and steady as he boards.

But things have changed as they’ve grown older.  Frank is now 90, and Sadie is 83.  Six years ago, Sadie suffered a heart attack and fractured her hip shortly thereafter.  She wasn’t far into recovery when Frank had a stroke, significantly impacting his mobility and short-term memory.  Sadie was unable to lift his heavy walker in and out of her car, but she did not want to become like other senior couples who spend their days at home in the company of the television.  She didn’t want their lives to grow dull.

It was then that Frank and Sadie became committed riders of the Hyde Shuttle program.  They consistently take the shuttle to their Enhance Fitness class at the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center three days per week.   Sadie notes that the class helps with mobility and balance, but, more importantly, it’s about social interaction and community.   They have gotten to know many other seniors throughout the years, and Sadie is quick to add, “Everybody at the Center knows Frank by name!”

The transportation provided by the Hyde Shuttles is just one small-- yet integral— part of their weekly routine.  Sadie expresses much gratitude for the program and praises its volunteer drivers.  She describes them as helpful, thoughtful, friendly, skilled and outstanding.   She labels the program as a “lifesaver.”

Frank and Sadie have not allowed health challenges to take away all the vibrancy of their lives.  They are committed to staying as social and active as they can, and the Hyde Shuttles are there to help them along the way.  Their journeys have been full of many uncommon discoveries—including each other. 

“SO DEPENDABLE.  THE PEOPLE I DEALT WITH WERE ALWAYS SO NICE, BOTH OVER THE PHONE AND IN PERSON.  I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP.  IT HAS MEANT A LOT TO ME.  YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!  HOW IN THIS WORLD COULD I NOT RECOMMEND YOU TO OTHERS??!!”

“I love all of you and am very grateful for your service.”

“Thanks so much & I hope the service lasts forever.”

“I’ve had nothing but great experiences.  I am so grateful & I spread the word to people who are thrilled to hear about it.  Before I was not able to see Dr’s that I really needed to.  I am so happy.”

“I’m so proud of you at Transportation.  May God always bless you.”

“I feel that the volunteers are among the nicest, most helpful people that I know.  Thank you all very much.  You make my life better.”

“I have no family here as they moved to the East coast 2 years ago, and many of my friends no longer drive.  I don’t like to impose on friends either and take up their time.  I don’t think I could continue to live here without Volunteer Transportation.”

“Thank God there are people out there who help other people.”

“Volunteer Transportation is my hero, NO ONE is better!”

We'd like introduce you to our newest staff member, Kailan Tyler-Babkirk.  Kailan joined the Volunteer Transportation program as the South King County Coordinator last week, and we feel very fortunate to have her as a part of our team!

A Washingtonian through and through, Kailan was born in Seattle, grew up in Spokane, and spent the last several years living in Olympia-- where she graduated from The Evergreen State College with a BA in psychology and expressive arts.  She then worked in a retirement home as a receptionist and activities assistant where she led exercise classes, arts and crafts activities, and scheduled medical transportation. She has a passion for providing meaningful services to seniors and is thrilled to be part of Senior Services with their mission to promote the emotional, social, and physical well-being of aging adults.

In her spare time, Kailan loves painting, sewing, dancing, and hiking in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Recently, she has taken up the hobby of birding and looks forward to expanding her knowledge of NW birds. She is a member of the Seattle Joy Initiative and Compassionate Seattle and enjoys bringing a smile wherever she goes.

Kailan can be reached at kailant@seniorservices.org.

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. 

This week’s reflection comes from www.seniorliving.org and offers great context for both our Volunteer Transportation and Hyde Shuttle programs.

• Vision provides about 85% of information we need to make safe decisions when driving.
• A 60-year-old requires 10 times as much light to drive as a 19-year-old.
• A 55-year-old takes eight times longer to recover from glare than a 16-year-old.
• Older drivers can take twice as long to distinguish the flash of brake lights as younger drivers.

•  Seniors continue driving “as long as possible because they are unaware of, or do not believe they have, alternative means of transportation.”
• Seniors “limit their driving or stop driving altogether because of functional difficulties.”
• “By the time they stop driving, many older adults are so disabled that they are unable to use most public and para-transit systems.”
• “Next to health, transportation is the most important issue for seniors.”

Ride by ride, we break down these transportation barriers for seniors of King County—providing reassurance and comfort with a personal touch.

Today's post is a video for your viewing enjoyment.  The woman featured in this short film is reminiscent of so many of our volunteer drivers, and her story touches on many themes of our programs.