Elderly free ride service program in need of help

More and more seniors are taking advantage of the Jasper County Rideshare program, which is a good news. The bad news is the program is in need of more volunteers to keep up with the increase, according to the program’s coordinator.

Rideshare is one of the many components that makes up the Jasper County Retired Senior Volunteer Program, however, it’s the one giving Denice Fischer, RSVP’s program coordinator, the most issues at the moment.

“Currently, our transportation program has the largest need for volunteers. In particular, drivers who are willing to travel out of town. Although we have 20 drivers on our list, they aren’t all available at one time,” Fischer said.

“We have several drivers that are not available at different times of the year. A couple of our drivers’ farm and fall is a busy time for them; we also have one that travels west for the winter. Another one just had knee surgery and another informed me recently that he will be moving to Des Moines.”

Being short on drivers is nothing new for Fischer and she said she’s pretty understanding of the circumstances.

“They all earn their retirement and we work around their schedules because that is important to us and them,” Fischer said.

There are 252 clients in RSVP’s rideshare database. Not all of them use the services regularly but Fischer said they’ve serviced 115 clients so far this year.

“Some of these clients will be served multiple times in the year or even the same month — dependent on their medical needs. We are currently scheduling about 15-20 rides per week,” Fischer said.

Despite the need for more volunteers for the rideshare program, Fischer cautions that there are still protocols that must be met to be part of the program.

“Since we are the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, our volunteers are 55 and older. There is some intake paperwork involved as a way to gauge their interest areas and experiences in order to make a good match for our volunteer opportunities. We are also required to perform a background check on all of our volunteers,” Fischer said.

For those interested in obtaining a free ride through the program, there are also guidelines. Riders must be over the age of 65, be disabled, a veteran or meet low-income requirements.

The need for more drivers aside, Fischer said she is grateful for the support this program receives from the United Way of Jasper County, the county, the City of Newton, Skiff Medical Center, the Jasper County Veterans Affairs Office and the local ISU Ext. Office, which houses RSVP’s office.

To obtain a ride or volunteer, call the office at 641-792-6433.