Program Seeks Volunteers to Provide Free Rides for Seniors

It’s no secret that the American population continues to age as medical advances and greater knowledge about how to stay healthy emerge.

But longevity creates other problems, such as providing services to the aging population that previously may not have been needed.

One service whose popularity is steadily increasing in Westchester is RideConnect, a Family Services of Westchester program that provides free transportation by volunteer drivers to residents 60 years old and over, most of whom are on fixed incomes or who can no longer drive. They are taken to doctors’ appointments, shopping, religious services or social visits anywhere in the county or southern Putnam.

However, the demand for RideConnect, which is based in Mount Kisco, far exceeds the service’s ability to find enough volunteer drivers, said its Director Karen Ganis.

Last week, Ganis and RideConnect’s Mobility Manager Marietta Manoni appealed for more volunteers. It doesn’t have to be a time-consuming commitment, but if someone can provide just one ride a week that would help keep up with the demand.

“Whatever they’re willing to do we’re willing to have it because we have so many people looking for rides to everything, to doctors’ appointments, to grocery shopping, to church, to synagogue,” Ganis said. “We even have a client who herself is a volunteer.”

In 2012, RideConnect’s first year, there were 993 rides and referrals to other agencies. Last year that number mushroomed to 15,971 rides and referrals, according to Ganis.

However, RideConnect, which receives about 80 percent of its funding from the federal government and most of the balance from Westchester County, currently has a roster of only about 150 volunteers, she said.

Ganis said that some of the drivers still work while others are retirees. There is a strong vetting process to screen volunteer drivers, who can be from 21 to 80 years old. They must pass a background check and have a clean driving record.

Aside from saving seniors from prohibitively expensive livery service providers, it is common for volunteers and clients to form friendships, Manoni said.

“It’s also a comfort level,” she said. “With us, we’re kind of a little mom and pop shop, so they’re very comfortable with our volunteers.

“Our volunteers may be strangers, but not for long,” Manoni added.

Ganis said the satisfaction many of the volunteer drivers derive from helping people who might otherwise be house-bound is its own gift.

“The volunteers will tell you they get as much as they give,” Ganis said. “The stories they get from the clients are funny. A lot of them are World War II veterans and have unbelievable stories to share. Depression-era babies who can tell you about going through some hard times. I think our volunteers get a lot out of it.”

Garrison resident Tom Brennan, a retire college instructor at St. Thomas Aquinas in Sparkill, said he volunteers whenever he can and finds the seniors incredibly friendly and grateful.

“You can’t believe how appreciative these people are,” said Brennan, who drives in northern Westchester. “We’re like a lifeline to their doorstep.”

Della Howell of Mahopac, also a retiree who has been volunteering for close to three years, said she cherishes her time driving, talking with the passengers and learning.

“They’re as important to me as I am to them,” Howell said.

Volunteers can operate any kind of vehicle. For more information on volunteer opportunities, contact Karen Ganis ant 914-242-7433 or visit www.rideconnectwestchester.org.

Martin Wilbur

Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/