Transportation program growing

WATERLOO REGION — Community Support Connections — Meals on Wheels and More is expanding its transportation program to evenings and weekends, offering more rides to seniors and opportunities for volunteers.

The expanded hours are possible thanks to a $50,000 grant from The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation.

“We are really, really excited,” said Rosalind Horne, the agency’s director of engagement and responsiveness.

Demand for the transportation program keeps growing as the population ages.

In 2008, the agency provided 9,600 client rides. Last year, that jumped to 41,372 rides.

“With the agency vehicles, we schedule more group trips,” Horne said.

“But we still have unmet rides.”

Each month, there’s an average of 116 unmet rides. That’s when there aren’t enough volunteer drivers or vehicles or if the client calls later than the required two business days.

About 65 volunteer drivers provide rides to medical appointments or to the grocery store, and there are nine agency vehicles used to take groups of clients to day programs and on shopping trips.

There is a small fee for the service, and subsidies are available.

The one-time funding will be used to offset operational costs and for volunteer driver recruitment.

Adding evening and weekend rides for outings where the timing is more flexible will open up weekdays for trips that can’t be done outside daytime hours, such as a doctor’s appointment.

“That frees up more time during the day,” Horne said.

Providing rides for medical appointments and other necessary outings allows people to live independently at home for longer. Last year, the agency served nine clients over 100.

But there’s also the social aspect of time with a volunteer or others using the service, Horne said.

Seniors living in an apartment building will get a group together to go to the grocery store.

“They call it the shopping bus,” Horne said. “They love the volunteers, too, so they keep coming back.”

The agency is looking to recruit more volunteer drivers (www.communitysupportconnections.org/ apply), with the flexible evening and weekend hours a new option for those who work but would like to volunteer.

Horne said the added ride hours are a great new opportunity for both clients and volunteers.

“I’m excited to see what happens.”