Giving back to the community is only one of the many reasons Helen and her husband Henk volunteer as drivers. They have been driving with us for a number of years, with Henk himself banking 15 years as a volunteer driver and Helen with 14 years.
Back when they started volunteering, they were both driving almost every day. Their day began at 9 a.m. or earlier, depending on the destinations they had to go to that day, and went until at least 5:30 p.m. or later. As a volunteer driver, you get to set your schedule – Henk and Hellen decided to driver everyday.
“A lot of our drives are for medical appointments, grocery shopping, taking people to the Ontario Addition Treatment Centre, mental health appointments, or taking people to and from group homes to programs that are run down in Aurora,” explains Helen.
Having the ability to help others is what motivates both Henk and Helen to drive when they can, and for both of them, it helps them appreciate their life and the people around them.
“I very much appreciate driving people to dialysis,” says Henk. “I realize that it’s so much better to be a driver than to be a rider who has to be in the health centre for four hours on the machine three times a week. It makes me appreciate that I can get around and be able to help.”
For Helen, she likes that she can take a load off of family members of clients who need rides. “I was driving an 88-year-old for a while who was just a lady that needed a ride and a friendly ear,” says Helen. “Being able to do that, it gives the family of people a sense that their loved ones are being taken care of if they aren’t able to.”
Henk and Helen like to encourage others to volunteer, because they say that the appreciation they get from riders is something they think is important to share.
“It doesn’t matter which people you are driving, they are very appreciative of the time we donate to get them where they have to go,” says Helen. “One of my favorite clients is a lovely couple. They are always, always sitting outside waiting for me to pull up. I never have to wait for them. They are just so appreciative of the rides. They both unfortunately have health problems and it’s been difficult for them.”
