Courtesy Van on break
For 25 years, the nonprofit Courtesy Van has been helping Bella Vista residents with rides to places like the doctor’s office or the grocery store. Like many other organizations, the Courtesy Van closed on March 23 because of covid-19. After meeting with his board on Thursday, president Bill Puskus said the service won’t reopen this month. It may be late August before it resumes. No date has been set.
“Health is the most important thing,” he said. “We have to protect both our drivers and our passengers.”
Board member Jane Barfield is also a scheduler. She listens to the answering machine where people leave their ride requests and helps drivers plan their daily routes. The Courtesy Van has always required a reservation at least one day in advance. The ride is free, but the organization accepts donations.
The decision to close was made in part to protect the volunteer drivers, Barfield explained. Most of the drivers are seniors and particularly vulnerable to the virus. The organization is always short on drivers. They couldn’t afford to risk any driver’s health.
Some of their clients are not traveling as much anyway, she pointed out. Many routine doctor visits were also canceled and people have been able to use delivery services for groceries. The exception is dialysis patients who must continue regular trips to Bentonville. She’s not sure how they are getting around.
Puskas said clients who really need to get to an appointment are probably depending on friends and family to get them there. They can also use services like Uber and Lyft. He knows that Medicare and Medicaid sometimes help with transportation but he doesn’t know the details
Barfield is one of several Courtesy Van volunteers who is continuing to help some clients. She knows some of the drivers are also making impromptu shopping trips in their own vehicles to help.
“People help each other in Bella Vista,” she explained.