American Cancer Society seeking volunteer drivers

By Daniel Clifton • Daily Tribune Staff

HIGHLAND LAKES - The American Cancer Society wants you to “give somebody the ride of their life.”

“We’re looking for more volunteers for our Road to Recovery program,” said Central Texas Region ACS community manager Amy Hajdu. “And there is a need. Because of a lack of volunteers, we’re having to turn patients away.”

The Road to Recovery is the cancer society’s transportation program for people needing to get to and from treatment. Hajdu said while the program addresses the needs of low-income cancer patients, it’s also used by people who might otherwise have the means to drive themselves.

“Some of the patients have cars, they have the money to put gas in the tanks or they can drive to their appointments,” she said. “The problem though, is because of their treatments, they might not be able to get back in the car and drive themselves home.”

This can lead to inconsistent treatment, she said.

Hajdu will hold a Road to Recovery training program Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Marble Falls First Baptist Church, 501 12th St.

Without volunteers to help drive patients, Hajdu said, many people are getting inconsistent treatments.

Or worse.

Jeanene Olson, director of Older Adult Rural Services in the Highland Lakes, said some patients might not even ask for help and forgo their cancer treatments.

“Some people are too proud to ask and they don’t want to bother anybody,” Olson said. “But what we’re doing is getting a group of volunteers who want to help. So it’s not a bother. We want to help these folks.”

Though the Road to Recovery is open to any cancer patient who needs help, OARS services target residents 60 and older, Olson said.

“There are people in our community who need help, and we’re going to find a way to help them,” she said. “What we’re trying to do is build a group of volunteers dedicated to driving cancer patients to their appointments.”

Hajdu said the driving schedules will be built around the volunteers’ availability.

Currently there are two Road to Recovery drivers serving the Highland Lakes area.

“They can’t carry the responsibility of this area alone,” Hajdu said. “That’s why were putting the call out for more volunteers.”

Olson said this program helps not only the patient but also family and friends.

“A lot of cancer patients depend on their family or neighbors for rides,” Olson said. “But even then, scheduling or other demands can present problems. It can cause a lot of stress on both family and the patient. With Road to Recovery, we can help with transportation when a person doesn’t have another way.

“It’s such a dire need. When I can’t get somebody to their appointment, it tears at my heart.”

Hajdu said interested people can RSVP her at (512) 919-1833 or at amy.hajdu@cancer.org so she can prepare enough informational packets.

“But if they just show up on the day of the training, that would be great,” she said.

If insurance or gas costs are a concern, the ACS has assistance with that as well.

“One of the important aspects is we’re able to provide an umbrella insurance policy for drivers as well as reimburse them 14 cents for every mile they drive,” Hajdu said.

Olson said along with assisting the ACS with the program, OARS can help connect patients with drivers or other information.

“A great reason for this collaboration between OARS and the ACS is simply we have plenty of local contacts and they have tons of resources and information,” she said. “If you have this disease, then you need all the information you can get.”

But information won’t do much good if patients don’t have a way to get to appointments whether they are here in the Highland Lakes or in Austin, Kerrville or Temple.

“There is a dire need for this program and volunteers,” Olson said. “Because for some of these people, it is a life-or-death situation when it comes to getting their treatments.”

daniel@thepicayune.com

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American Cancer Society seeking
volunteer drivers