Drivers wanted: Helping hands for veterans
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Mid-Ohio Valley residents can help veterans in many ways and among those is by driving.
The Washington County Veterans Service Commission offers transportation help to veterans for medical appointments authorized by the VA that are not in Wood or Washington counties. These appointments do not have to be with the VA, according to Veterans Service Executive Director Robert Fitzgerald.
The commission does not offer transportation help for medical appointments in Washington or Wood Counties due to not having the resources or budget for those. It only offers help for medical appointments outside of the local area, Fitzgerald said.
Veterans Services provides the help with volunteer drivers, who pick up veterans usually at the commission office, drive them to the appointment, wait until the appointment is over and then drive the veterans back to the commission office, Fitzgerald said.
Veterans need transportation help because of several issues that make it hard for them to drive, including age, not being able to handle a long trip, poor eyesight, their medical appointment requires they don't drive and not having reliable transportation, according to Fitzpatrick.
Volunteer drivers use one of four new vehicles owned by Veterans Services that have a full tank of gasoline and they receive a trip sheet with information about the trip and a fuel card to get gasoline during the trip, he said.
Fitzpartick said the appointments uually last an hour and drivers can then wait in a park, listen to the radio, get lunch or something else while they wait for the appointment to end. If they get a meal while they are waiting, drivers are reimbursed.
Veterans Services had four vehicles and 26 drivers and while that might seem like a lot of drivers it is not because people have scheduling limitations like only being available on certain days, according to Fitzpatrick. Drivers can volunteer whatever time they want, he said.
"Whatever anybody can do, we're happy," Fitzpatrick said.
According to Fitzpatrick, drivers do not have to be veterans and can be from Ohio or West Virginian. They must provide the Veterans Services with a valid driver's license, a copy of their vehicle insurance card and they must have a clean driving record.
Bruce Haas is one of the 26 volunteer drivers that help provide transportation.
According to Haas, finding volunteers is challenging.
"This shortage of drivers has been a long term challenge," he said. "This is the first time we have put a serious outreach effort in motion."
There is no limit on the number of volunteer drivers needed, anyone who wants to volunteer can, Fitzpatrick said.
He said the transportation help is extremely important to veterans.
"It impacts (veterans) immensely," Fitzpartick said.
Michelle Dillon can be reached at mdillon@newsandsentinel.com