Transportation to and fro is one of the biggest frustrations facing older adults who want to continue living in their own homes. So three years ago Jewish Family Services began tackling the problem by creating JET Express.
Dawn Herbet, JFS’s director of Older Adult Initiatives, explained that the JET Transportation Programs enable older adults age 65-plus, or those who have physical or mental disabilities, to stay active and independent, without driving their own car. The service is provided by volunteer drivers who use their own cars. It provides safe, personal, door-to-door transportation for such things as rides to the doctor, dentist, hairdresser, grocery store, volunteer commitments, synagogue or any activity keeping members active and independent.
“We can take them anywhere that helps keep them active and independent and lets them keep doing the things they want to do,” she said. The service costs $2.50 each way.
The program began, Herbet explained, because research showed that while there are transportation programs available in the city for people with lower incomes, there was still a gap in services.
“Those who had means were able to take cabs, but there was a need for those in the middle to afford a way to get to doctor’s appointments and food shopping and do the things that keep them active,” Herbet said.
Herbet said JFS learned about other volunteer driver programs in towns and determined it would be something that JFS could and should offer as well.
It doesn’t take much to qualify for the service. Other than age or disability, the only other qualification is that the person does not have transportation readily available. At this point, it is not able to accommodate anyone needing a wheelchair-accessible van.
“However, if any volunteer comes forth that has a wheelchair-accessible van, we would love to open up the service to those in wheelchairs. We can take those who are wheelchair-bound if they are able to transfer themselves in and out of the car,” Herbet said.
Currently 123 riders take advantage of JET Express. Sixty-five people make up the list of active drivers. JFS is currently recruiting more drivers.
“In order to meet the needs that we currently have, we desperately need more drivers,” Herbet said. “The demand is beyond the capabilities of what we can provide in certain months. Unfortunately there are times where we need to cancel because we don’t have the drivers and we truly want to help everyone get to where they want to go.”
In the past three years, Herbet said the amazing thing she has learned about the volunteer drivers is that they feel they are helping themselves as much as those who need the rides.
“They are forming relationships and feel good knowing they are creating a mitzvah and truly helping another human,” Herbet said.
Drivers need to be 21 years of age or older and have a clean driving record, along with a working car. They also need a valid driver’s license and personal car insurance. JFS provides secondary insurance on the drivers. Drivers are reimbursed 33 cents per mile.
“We do drug tests and we do background screens,” Herbet continued. “None of our drivers have ever had an accident in the two years we’ve been doing this program.”
Herbet said JET Express tries to make the program as convenient as possible for the drivers. Drivers can check the website anytime day or night and sign up for whatever times are convenient for them. They don’t have to commit to a certain amount of hours each week and they are free to take vacations or time off whenever necessary.
“We are truly thankful whether a driver can drive once a month or once a week to help older adults in our community,” she said.
Volunteer driver Jim Miller, who is not Jewish but thoroughly enjoys helping people in any way he can, said JET Express is very easy to deal with.
“They understand if I’ve got to take time to take care of things for myself,” he said.
A former employee of the Boy Scouts of America, Miller truly believes in the saying, “The service we give is the rent we pay for the space we occupy.”
Herbet said JET Express has gone beyond the expectations the social service agency had dreamed.
“We help people all the time get to where they want to go, but I think it’s more the personal stories, the friendships that have been formed and the care our drivers give our riders. That has certainly gone beyond the expectations we had. I had no idea the effect the drivers and the riders have had on each other,” Herbet said.
Barbara Steinberg used to drive herself everywhere, but mechanical troubles caused her to be without transportation. Now she loves JET Express.
“I called Jewish Family Services and all I can say is it gave me back my life. I was able to do things that I needed and wanted to do, like continuing to work in the Kehilath Israel Synagogue Sisterhood Gift Shop. I don’t know what I would have done without JET Express,” Steinberg said.
“The service has just been beyond my expectations. It’s been a pleasant surprise riding with those I know and I’ve become friends with ones I didn’t know. It’s been a lovely, lovely experience for me.”
JFS needs volunteers!
Adrienne Kizer, JFS’ director of volunteers and special projects, is spearheading an effort to recruit 50 volunteers for JFS’s older adult initiatives — JET Express and Help@Home — between now and the end of the year. She explained that both programs are designed to assist older adults with everyday things we may take for granted such as driving to a hair dresser, getting to the doctor’s office, hanging a picture, or setting up a new printer for our computer.
“As our community’s aging population continues to grow, our Help@Home and JET Express programs are called upon more than ever. To meet this growing demand and ensure our programs succeed in meeting the needs of our older adult population, JFS is looking to sign up 50 new volunteers by the end of 2011. Volunteering a couple of times a week, or even a few times a month, can mean the difference in helping older adults live independently in their own home and active in their community. And JFS volunteer programs are designed to make it convenient for everyone to volunteer — allowing you to schedule your volunteer time around your personal commitments,” Kizer said.
To learn more about volunteering for JFS, contact Adrienne Kizer at 913-327-8257 or .
Help@Home also enters third year
In addition to JET Express, JFS’s Help@Home project is also celebrating its third anniversary.
“We are up to 121 households serving more than 150 older adults and those who have physical or mental disabilities by providing minor home repairs, chore services, computer troubleshooting and annual home safety assessments. We’re available 24-7,” said Dawn Herbet, JFS’s director of Older Adult Initiatives.
JFS uses volunteers to supplement the work done by its “community handyman,” to do such things that they are comfortable doing such as changing light bulbs and computer troubleshooting. Participants in Help@Home are required to pay a fee that ranges from $7.50 to $79 to per month.