Veterans service asks for volunteer drivers

Veterans Administration Voluntary Service representatives from Veterans Service and Community Organizations recently met virtually and heard the need for volunteer van drivers, especially at Pine Bluff.

Participants learned of the needs of patients served by the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System. Volunteer service Chief Michael Dobbs discussed the need for drivers to transport patients for medical care.

Volunteers are needed from all over Arkansas; however a pressing need is for volunteers from the Pine Bluff area to drive the Disabled American Veterans van. Even if a driver only volunteers one day a month, it is needed, according to a news release.

Many veterans have no transportation and depend upon the Volunteer Transportation Network. The network, with vans provided by the DAV, is driven by volunteers and although vans are available, they are often left parked due to the lack of volunteer drivers, according to the release.

Drivers must have a valid Arkansas driver’s license and a safe driving record; they must also complete required training and a required physical/health screenings.

Meanwhile, VAVS representatives from Veterans Service and Community Organizations

attended the virtual meeting. VSOs include American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans (DAV) as well as other supporters of veterans such as Colonial Dames 17th Century and the United States Daughters of 1812, according to the release.

CAVHS, a flagship Department of Veterans Affairs health care provider, is one of the largest and busiest VA medical centers in the country. Its two hospitals in Little Rock and North Little Rock anchor a broad spectrum of inpatient and outpatient health care services, according to the release.

CAVHS has community-based outpatient clinics in Conway, El Dorado, Mena, Mountain Home, Pine Bluff, Russellville and Searcy as well as its Home-Based Primary Care Center in Hot Springs. However, there is still a need for veterans to travel to Little Rock or North Little Rock for treatment.

(Special to The Commercial/Michael Dobbs) Breanna Wilson, voluntary service specialist, and driver Mac McEntire at the Disabled American Veterans National Headquarters at Cold Springs, Ky., pick up a van donated by the Pine Bluff Disabled American Veterans for the Pine Bluff Volunteer Transportation Route.