Le Mans (1971) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Ganis said RideConnect currently has 20 volunteers. Although drivers receive a small stipend of 31 cents a mile up to a maximum of $35 a month, their real reward is helping transport those who cannot drive themselves, she said. In fact, since the program began, only one volunteer has accepted the stipend. 'Pan Am' Pilot (TV Episode 2011) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
In keeping with a previous estimate that revenues could be down by at least $100 million for each of the 32 teams, Ganis says the league missed out on $3 billion to $4 billion while playing in the.
Westchester County can be a difficult place to navigate for residents who are unable to drive. A new program started earlier this year has been helping seniors and the disabled get around more easily and have greater independence.
Since January, the Mount Kisco-based nonprofit Family Services of Westchester has been offering RideConnect to help those two populations of residents. With limitations on Bee-Line bus routes and Para Transit services and expensive taxis as the only options for those who don’t drive, RideConnect has been a welcome addition to the community.
“My goal is to get the senior out of their home,” said program director Karen Ganis. “We’ll take them anywhere.”
However, in order to provide the service, volunteer drivers are needed. Ganis said RideConnect currently has 20 volunteers. Although drivers receive a small stipend of 31 cents a mile up to a maximum of $35 a month, their real reward is helping transport those who cannot drive themselves, she said. In fact, since the program began, only one volunteer has accepted the stipend.
“They’re really doing this out of the kindness of their heart,” Ganis said.
The allure for residents who use the service is that there is no cost to receive the rides. Some seniors want to pay, but Family Services will not allow them to do so, Ganis said. If they wish, they may donate to the organization. Some of Family Services’ programs, including RideConnect, receive federal funding.
So far, the program, although limited in its reach, has been a success. While other programs transport residents strictly for medical care, RideConnect offers transportation for seniors to have a social life and be part of the community. Seniors have relied on the rides for hair salon appointments, banking or grocery shopping in addition to doctors’ appointments, she said.
In September, the program provided 115 rides. Pickups must be in Westchester. Most rides stay local, although there have been some to Putnam County.
“The folks that receive the service can’t say enough because the program isn’t geared toward strictly medical provision,” said Ganis, who cited a recent survey revealing that transportation was the biggest concern of seniors.
Volunteers, who use their own cars, must be at least 55 years old and provide at least one ride a month. They are interviewed and their driving records and references are scrutinized. Only regular cars are used. If a person uses a wheelchair, they have to be able to get out of the chair on their own. More severely disabled residents are referred to other programs.
Mount Kisco resident Patricia Jordan, one of the volunteer drivers, said access to transportation is a national problem for seniors who no longer drive. Jordan has provided rides to bring seniors shopping and a variety of other destinations. The seniors are primarily in the 70s, she said.
“These people are really cognizant of the fact they really could not remain in their homes” without a means of transportation, Jordan said.
Ganis said some volunteers work part-time while others still work fulltime and provide rides at night or on weekends.
While Jordan and the program’s volunteers are providing a needed service, she receives much satisfaction in return.
“I absolutely love it,” she said. “The people that you take around couldn’t be more gracious. They’re so happy.”
Ganis said RideConnect will only grow in the coming years.
“Older adults are one of the fastest growing populations in the county and across the country,” she said. “We are now aging and we are starting to need service.”
Those looking to volunteer or who need transportation can call 914-242-7433 or 914-864-0955 or visit www.rideconnectwestchester.org.
It’s no secret that the American population continues to age as medical advances and greater knowledge about how to stay healthy emerge.
But longevity creates other problems, such as providing services to the aging population that previously may not have been needed.
One service whose popularity is steadily increasing in Westchester is RideConnect, a Family Services of Westchester program that provides free transportation by volunteer drivers to residents 60 years old and over, most of whom are on fixed incomes or who can no longer drive. They are taken to doctors’ appointments, shopping, religious services or social visits anywhere in the county or southern Putnam.
However, the demand for RideConnect, which is based in Mount Kisco, far exceeds the service’s ability to find enough volunteer drivers, said its Director Karen Ganis.
Last week, Ganis and RideConnect’s Mobility Manager Marietta Manoni appealed for more volunteers. It doesn’t have to be a time-consuming commitment, but if someone can provide just one ride a week that would help keep up with the demand.
“Whatever they’re willing to do we’re willing to have it because we have so many people looking for rides to everything, to doctors’ appointments, to grocery shopping, to church, to synagogue,” Ganis said. “We even have a client who herself is a volunteer.”
In 2012, RideConnect’s first year, there were 993 rides and referrals to other agencies. Last year that number mushroomed to 15,971 rides and referrals, according to Ganis.
However, RideConnect, which receives about 80 percent of its funding from the federal government and most of the balance from Westchester County, currently has a roster of only about 150 volunteers, she said.
Ganis said that some of the drivers still work while others are retirees. There is a strong vetting process to screen volunteer drivers, who can be from 21 to 80 years old. They must pass a background check and have a clean driving record.
Aside from saving seniors from prohibitively expensive livery service providers, it is common for volunteers and clients to form friendships, Manoni said.
“It’s also a comfort level,” she said. “With us, we’re kind of a little mom and pop shop, so they’re very comfortable with our volunteers.
“Our volunteers may be strangers, but not for long,” Manoni added.
Ganis said the satisfaction many of the volunteer drivers derive from helping people who might otherwise be house-bound is its own gift.
“The volunteers will tell you they get as much as they give,” Ganis said. “The stories they get from the clients are funny. A lot of them are World War II veterans and have unbelievable stories to share. Depression-era babies who can tell you about going through some hard times. I think our volunteers get a lot out of it.”
Garrison resident Tom Brennan, a retire college instructor at St. Thomas Aquinas in Sparkill, said he volunteers whenever he can and finds the seniors incredibly friendly and grateful.
“You can’t believe how appreciative these people are,” said Brennan, who drives in northern Westchester. “We’re like a lifeline to their doorstep.”
Della Howell of Mahopac, also a retiree who has been volunteering for close to three years, said she cherishes her time driving, talking with the passengers and learning.
“They’re as important to me as I am to them,” Howell said.
Ganis Driver License Test
Volunteers can operate any kind of vehicle. For more information on volunteer opportunities, contact Karen Ganis ant 914-242-7433 or visit www.rideconnectwestchester.org.