Congratulations to the American Red Cross Transportation Drivers

Thursday, April 16, the Volunteer Center of Brown County hosted the 27th Annual WPS Volunteer Awards Breakfast, the community’s most broad-based volunteer recognition event in Brown County in conjunction with National Volunteer Week.

The American Red Cross is honored to have the American Red Cross Transportation Volunteers awarded runner-up for the Green Bay Packers Large Group Volunteer Award. 

(left-right) Attending the breakfast on behalf of the American Red Cross Transportation Program: Randy Wery, Jeff Baum, Bill Craig, Kenton Immerfell, Cathy & Tom Harrison, Dick Neuses and Tina Whetung, Program Manager.

Here is a brief summary of the impact these individuals make on a daily basis to those 60 and over and/or with a disability. 

An elderly parent needing rides to/from dialysis 3 days per week and they no longer drive or perhaps never had a driver’s license.  An individual with special needs who received job training while in high school, has now graduated and is in need of rides to/from work. 

These are just a couple of the reasons why American Red Cross provides this much needed transportation service.  American Red Cross Transportation Services has provided rides to the elderly and/or disabled residents of Brown County for more than 50 years. 

Door to Door transportation is offered Monday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. for the cost of $3.00 per person/per one way ride.  Rides are provided to/from medical, employment, nutritional, educational and social appointments.  Medical rides are priority and can be scheduled months in advance or on a routine basis for trips to/from dialysis, radiation, wound treatment, etc.  Employment rides can be scheduled on a routine basis as long as the days/times are the same each week.  Nutritional trips can be scheduled one week in advance with educational and social trips just two days in advance. 

American Red Cross provides volunteer drivers with a vehicle, schedule, insurance & training, what the volunteer provides is essential, their time.  As the demand for safe, dependable, low cost transportation continues to grow; we continue to ask more of our dedicated volunteers.  Some of our volunteer drivers are here 4-5 days per week for 4 1/2 – 5 hours per day.  Each time a volunteer gets behind the wheel of a Red Cross car they take comfort in knowing that they are not only helping the client but many times they are also helping the family of that client.  Individuals with elderly parents or a special needs child are not always able to provide the rides their loved ones need, that is why they contact American Red Cross Transportation Services.  Our volunteer drivers provide a safe and reliable transportation service, allowing those they serve to lead a more fulfilling, self-sufficient lifestyle.

In 2014 American Red Cross Transportation Services provided:

48,928 total rides

40,320 to ambulatory clients (walking)

8,608 to client using a mobility device such as a wheelchair

25,342 medical trips

16,357 employment trips

1,583 nutritional trips

808 educational trips

4,838 social trips

Drivers volunteered 32,861.75 hours  and traveled 404,043 miles to transport clients in need