Drive your Community

By Paula Greene

When my Dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer last year one of the many things he had to give up almost immediately was being able to drive himself. He loved driving and the independence it gave him but faced with this debilitating disease he had to rely on others to get him to the many hospital appointments he had to attend. Thanks to volunteer drivers he was able to get where he needed to be without worry and expense.

At James Bay Community Project and Capital City Volunteers volunteer drivers provide a lifeline to many people in James Bay and the Municipality of Victoria. Volunteer drivers support the independence of isolated and vulnerable seniors and adults living with disabilities in the community.

I spoke to one volunteer driver Arleigh who has been volunteering for two years. Arleigh moved to Victoria after retiring and had always planned to volunteer. Moving into the James Bay community meant she soon crossed paths with the James Bay Community Project and connected with our Coordinator of Volunteers and Community Programs.

When I asked Arleigh why she volunteered she said that she did it to contribute to her community and to make connections with people. She finds volunteering as a driver very flexible. What works for Arleigh is putting one day aside a week for her volunteering and then she finds she doesn’t have to juggle her schedule to fit her volunteering in.

A volunteer driver uses their own car. They meet with the Volunteer Coordinator and if they decide that yes to would like to volunteer as a driver they undergo a criminal records review, provide a drivers abstract and a copy of their liability insurance and driver’s licence once this is done a driver will be contacted with an opportunity. Arleigh is contacted when she is needed to drive someone and she says each opportunity is different and she always has the option to say no.

What she has really enjoyed is making connections and relationships. She says that over time she has driven some people on several occasions and has enjoyed getting to know them. She was surprised to find that she made connections over shared interests and she looks forward to meeting new people and getting to know them.

I asked Arleigh what some of the challenges to being a volunteer driver might be and she said that it’s not a hard job but it does help to be able to read a map, one of the bonuses for her is that she has been able to explore Victoria and get to know new areas in the city. Parking can be an issue and Arleigh said that she learnt to leave enough time to find parking.

So what are some of the types of appointments she takes people to? She said she does quite a few medical drives to the cancer clinic, the hospital, doctors and dentist. Arleigh might wait in the waiting room but for some of the appointments that are quite long Arleigh takes the opportunity to go for a walk, have a coffee or catch up on some reading.

The people she drives are very grateful for her time and find using a volunteer driver less stressful than other means of transportation. The also appreciate that with her they don’t feel rushed, they can take their time at their appointment and not worry that they have to get out in time to meet their transport.

I asked Arleigh why she keeps volunteering and she said “… because I enjoy it and get satisfaction from helping’

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer drive please contact Lisa Gleinzer lgleinzer@jbcp.bc.ca/250.388.7844 ext. 308.