It all began more than two years ago, when Tufts Health Plan Foundation and the MetroWest Health Foundation were both independently pursuing the idea of funding elder services programs. They created a joint venture to bring a chapter of ITN to the greater Boston area, each providing equal amounts of starter funding. In need of an organization to set up the program, they turned to HRiA.

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Independent Transportation Network’s North Central Connecticut group has offered 10,000 rides to members in its 10-town community since its founding three years ago. The agency is also preparing for its annual fund-raiser, “Walk for Rides,” scheduled for April 28.

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In my case, it was that unexpected icy frost on my windshield in the wee hours of the morning. I hadn’t budgeted extra time in my morning commute to scrape my window and warm up my car for optimum visibility conditions. So, off I drove, cocking my neck to peer through the little cleared patch on my windshield, wipers on full speed, and washer fluid going great guns, the defroster blast in hopes that the warm air will warm the car and melt the ice quickly, my teeth chatter from the cold — it will get better, I will see more clearly, soon enough.

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Brad Davis’s passenger and ITNNorthCentralConnecticut’s 10,000th rider was author Billie Alban. Ms. Alban told the gathering “As a senior citizen living in Bloomfield, I awoke 3 years ago and everything was foggy, I had totally lost all my vision in my left eye and I had less than half of my right eye. Like so many seniors who do not or cannot drive, I was barely able to get around. I felt as though most of my life had been taken away. ITN® has given me a life again. I can do the shopping I need, keep medical appointments, go to lunch with friends. The drivers are wonderful; when necessary they will accompany me into a store to find something I need. There are no words that describe how important this program has been to help me live my life without burdening family and friends. And there are so many seniors like me who need this service for social & medical appointments. This is truly a life giving service.”

ITNNorthCentralConnecticut™ is now offering rides 24/7 to seniors and adults with visual impairments in Bloomfield, East Granby, East Windsor, Enfield, Granby, Somers, South Windsor, Suffield, Windsor and Windsor Locks. This alternative transportation program uses a combination of volunteer and paid drivers who provide rides in private vehicles. There is no restriction on the purpose of a ride, and help is offered to carry packages, fold walkers, and open doors. Members enjoy peace of mind knowing that a clean private car and safe, experienced driver are available to them around the clock, 365 days a year.

Brad Davis is Celebrity Chairperson of the Walk for Rides fundraising event on April 28, 2012 and is joined by Joe Ravalese, owner of the Country Diner in Enfield as Community Chairperson. Walk for Rides will take place at Sport’s World in East Windsor on Saturday, April 28th, rain or shine. Registration begins at 9 a.m. with the Walk scheduled for 10 am. For information or to register for Walk for Rides call 860-758-7833 or email info@ITNNorthCentralCT.org. Online donations and registration are also accepted at www.walkforrides.org.

Demand for ITNGreaterCincinnati’s (ITNGC) membership-based transportation service for the elderly and visually-impaired is outstripping its volunteer base, stressing the Deaconess Associations Foundation program’s 25 volunteer drivers.
Ridership has increased 82 percent since January, and additional drivers are desperately needed, said ITNGC executive director Nancy Schuster.

“We had a feeling when we began this initiative in 2010 that it would fill a niche in the transportation needs for seniors and the visually-impaired within the I-275 loop,” said Schuster. “Not everyone is mobile enough or has the ability to wait for bus or special van transportation. We’ve been extremely gratified at the demand for our services, as well as the quality of dedicated volunteers who help us out.”

Since May of 2010, ITNGC has provided 6,468 rides. According to ITNGC records, members scheduled 393 rides in January. In February, the count was 503, and through March, 714 rides are scheduled.

ITNGC has been so successful that it’s now working to expand its volunteer and rider base to cover northern Kentucky.
“What’s perhaps most interesting to me is that so many of our seniors are being transported to places where they, in turn, volunteer,” said Schuster. “Places they go to include local hospitals, elementary schools, and libraries. This illustrates the genuine need we all have as human beings to remain mobile and stay connected to the community through volunteerism.”

For more information about driving for ITNGC, contact Schuster at Nancy.Schuster@ITNGreaterCincinnati.org or (513) 559-2856.

ITNGC is a senior citizen initiative supported by Deaconess Assns. Foundation (DAF). The non-profit service operates 24-hours a day, seven days per week serving senior citizens (age 60+) and visually-impaired adults. The subscription service is staffed entirely by volunteer drivers who use their own cars. Becoming a volunteer driver is an extremely rewarding experience and fits in with any schedule, said Schuster.

ITNGC volunteers take members anywhere within the I-275 beltway, ranging from dialysis to shopping, to meals with friends.

DAF aims to help older adults experience more vibrant, active and fulfilling lives by providing and supporting programs and resources for senior citizens aging in place. It is an affiliate of Deaconess Associations, Inc. which owns and operates Deaconess Long Term Care facilities in Ohio, Kansas and Missouri, and the Heimlich Institute, dedicated to using the creative portion of our minds in medicine and in life.

DAF senior programs include: FullLife (www.LiveFull.org), a DAF-supported website that offers healthcare products, services, articles, and ideas for seniors and their caretakers; Beyond Driving with Dignity, a driving self-assessment program designed to help older drivers and their families stay safe and work through the complicated issue of assessing age-related, diminishing driving skills; and Deaconess Medical Monitoring, which provides safety systems and products to help its more than 1,200 senior citizen customers maintain a safe and independent lifestyle even while dealing with complicated medical issues.

For more information about DAF programs and resources for senior citizens aging in place, go to www.DeaconessFoundation.org or www.LiveFull.org.

Maple Knoll cutline

Jack Hughes of Maple Knoll Village in Springdale and ITNGC volunteer driver, assists Violet Kellum, also of Maple Knoll Village, as she returns home from a ride. The membership transportation service for seniors and the visually-impaired has seen its ridership rocket 82 percent since January and desperately needs volunteer drivers.

ITNPortland is just a few rides away from offering its 250,000th ride.

ITNPortland is part of the 16-year-old Independent Transportation Network, or ITNAmerica, which started out as a graduate project at the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine. It has grown into a national transportation system for older people who want to stop driving without losing their independence.

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We reimburse our volunteer drivers at $0.25 per mile.

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