#Middlebury #Veterans #VolunteerDrivers #DisabledAmericanVeterans
VETERANS POST
By Freddy Groves
Have you considered how much of a problem it would be if you needed to go to a medical appointment and had no way to get there? If you have spare time or if you’re retired, there is a task you could take on that would benefit other veterans: Become a volunteer driver.
The Volunteer Transportation Network, supported by the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) group, coordinates drivers to get veterans to medical appointments and home again. For disabled or elderly vets or those without transportation, this service can in every sense of the word be lifesaving.
And you certainly won’t be alone in this task if you join up. Last year alone, DAV volunteer drivers took more than 156,000 veterans to appointments. Drivers use government vehicles and can fill up the tank using a purchase card. The DAV has spent over $80 million to purchase 3,000 vehicles to transport veterans to their medical appointments.
Your eligibility requirements: a valid license and a physical at the VA (it’s free and won’t cost you a cent.) You don’t need to be a DAV member to volunteer with them.
Take a look at the VA’s volunteer website (www.volunteer.va.gov) and click on “Volunteer Drivers.” You’ll go to a five-minute YouTube video. Or see the DAV site (www.dav.org) and click on “Medical Transportation” for more info.
And then there’s the Veterans Transportation Service. Working in conjunction with the individual VA facilities, drivers transport elderly, disabled or mobility-challenged vets to their health appointments, whether it’s at a VA facility or a non-VA health site.
Find their participating locations (as well as phone number and contact person) at www.va.gov/healthbenefits/vtp/map.asp, or call Voluntary Services at your local VA medical facility.
Consider, too, all the volunteer slots at your local VA Voluntary Services Office: parking lot shuttle driver, office assistant, info desk help, book cart, mailroom help, visitors guide … and so much more. No matter your skill, there’s sure to be a place for you.
© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.
