By Nancy Murray, The Shepherd's Center of McLean-Arlington-Falls Church
Aging in place is a gradual process, but there are milestones that bring unique challenges. One such moment is crossing the line from getting yourself around to NO Driving Allowed. It means a significant upheaval in daily life, but does not have to be an end to independence. The Shepherd’s Center of McLean-Arlington-Falls Church, an affiliate of The Shepherd’s Center of America, tries to help seniors stay in their own home and live independently as long as possible, even when driving is no longer an option.
Aging in place is a gradual process, but there are milestones that bring unique challenges. One such moment is crossing the line from getting yourself around to NO Driving Allowed. It means a significant upheaval in daily life, but does not have to be an end to independence. The Shepherd’s Center of McLean-Arlington-Falls Church, an affiliate of The Shepherd’s Center of America, tries to help seniors stay in their own home and live independently as long as possible, even when driving is no longer an option.
We are an all volunteer organization with NO regular time commitment asked. Our volunteers drive our clients to doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping, pharmacy, and other essential places they need to go at no cost to them. We also do friendly visits and minor handy helper projects. We work through a computer program called “Ride Scheduler” that allows the volunteers to see the origin, destination, and the date and time of appointments needed for the next month and then to pick any that they want to take.
Volunteering as a driver is a wonderful way to help others, to meet some interesting seniors—some of whom have no friends or family in the area–and also to meet other great volunteers. Last year we did over 2,500 one-way rides. We are always in need of more volunteers and would be happy to talk to you to discuss our organization in-depth. Please call us at (703) 506-2199 to have someone contact you or simply fill out the Volunteer Form on our website at www.scmafc.org and a volunteer will get in touch with you soon. We hope to hear from you.
This post is part of the Chamber’s Nonprofit Spotlight. The Chamber has over 100 nonprofit members, and we invite them to contribute to the Chamber blog as a way of connecting with the broader membership. If you are interested in contributing a Nonprofit Spotlight post, please reach out to Scott E. Pedowitz, Government Affairs Manager, at [email protected].
Volunteering as a driver is a wonderful way to help others, to meet some interesting seniors—some of whom have no friends or family in the area–and also to meet other great volunteers. Last year we did over 2,500 one-way rides. We are always in need of more volunteers and would be happy to talk to you to discuss our organization in-depth. Please call us at (703) 506-2199 to have someone contact you or simply fill out the Volunteer Form on our website at www.scmafc.org and a volunteer will get in touch with you soon. We hope to hear from you.
This post is part of the Chamber’s Nonprofit Spotlight. The Chamber has over 100 nonprofit members, and we invite them to contribute to the Chamber blog as a way of connecting with the broader membership. If you are interested in contributing a Nonprofit Spotlight post, please reach out to Scott E. Pedowitz, Government Affairs Manager, at [email protected].
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