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Volunteers needed for senior transportation program

Community Links is gearing up to restart its Senior Transportation Program and is in need of volunteer drivers.
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Community Links is searching for additional volunteer drivers to help with its Senior Transportation Program. Photo by Jessica Furtney/Unsplash

Community Links is gearing up to restart its Senior Transportation Program and is in need of volunteer drivers.

“Because of COVID-19, we are trying to reintroduce the program slowly,” said Laurie Jacob-Toews, community engagement services manager with Community Links.

Jacob-Toews said Community Links hopes to recruit at least two new volunteers before the program starts up again in the coming weeks. An official date for the restart has not yet been announced.

Because Community Links serves parts of Rocky View County, Crossfield, Irricana and Beiseker, Jacob-Toews noted the organization is interested in recruiting volunteers from both inside and outside of Airdrie.

The program, which Jacob-Toews said completed 57 trips last year, caters specifically to seniors 65 years of age and older who need safe transportation to medical appointments in Airdrie and Calgary.

“Volunteers aren’t obligated to do trips,” Jacob-Toews said. “We are just looking to have a pool of drivers so when a request comes in, we don’t have to say no.”

According to Jacob-Toews, the program is designed for seniors who do not have other ways of making it to appointments. Many specialists are not local, she said, which presents a difficulty for seniors with no other options.

As restrictions lift and more healthcare services are provided again, she said the demand for drivers and trips will increase.

“September to December is usually a busy time anyway,” Jacob-Toews said. “We are expecting to get more calls than normal."

Because volunteers are dealing with vulnerable citizens, a screening process is involved. A driver’s abstract showing a clean driving record and proof of insurance coverage is also required before volunteers are chosen.

“We have not been recruiting a lot of volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic, mostly because a lot of our programs have been on hold,” Jacob-Toews said. “We are trying to stay ahead of this one. We are trying to make sure we have all of our protocols in place for safety.”

Community Links is in the process of finalizing new health and safety measures for the program. Jacob-Toews said the organization will follow models used by ride-hailing companies. Masks will be required and volunteers will need to sanitize vehicles.

“We want to ensure we have the proper COVID-19 protocols in place,” she said. “We don’t want people to feel like they are at risk or anything. We want people to feel safe.”

Jacob-Toews said anyone interested in becoming a volunteer can find more information on the program at nrvcl.ca or by emailing [email protected]

Jordan Stricker, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @Jay_Strickz



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