RideConnect Helps Seniors Remain Independent

Westchester County can be a difficult place to navigate for residents who are unable to drive. A new program started earlier this year has been helping seniors and the disabled get around more easily and have greater independence.

Since January, the Mount Kisco-based nonprofit Family Services of Westchester has been offering RideConnect to help those two populations of residents. With limitations on Bee-Line bus routes and Para Transit services and expensive taxis as the only options for those who don’t drive, RideConnect has been a welcome addition to the community.

“My goal is to get the senior out of their home,” said program director Karen Ganis. “We’ll take them anywhere.”

However, in order to provide the service, volunteer drivers are needed. Ganis said RideConnect currently has 20 volunteers. Although drivers receive a small stipend of 31 cents a mile up to a maximum of $35 a month, their real reward is helping transport those who cannot drive themselves, she said. In fact, since the program began, only one volunteer has accepted the stipend.

“They’re really doing this out of the kindness of their heart,” Ganis said.

The allure for residents who use the service is that there is no cost to receive the rides. Some seniors want to pay, but Family Services will not allow them to do so, Ganis said. If they wish, they may donate to the organization. Some of Family Services’ programs, including RideConnect, receive federal funding.

So far, the program, although limited in its reach, has been a success. While other programs transport residents strictly for medical care, RideConnect offers transportation for seniors to have a social life and be part of the community. Seniors have relied on the rides for hair salon appointments, banking or grocery shopping in addition to doctors’ appointments, she said.

In September, the program provided 115 rides. Pickups must be in Westchester. Most rides stay local, although there have been some to Putnam County.

“The folks that receive the service can’t say enough because the program isn’t geared toward strictly medical provision,” said Ganis, who cited a recent survey revealing that transportation was the biggest concern of seniors.

Volunteers, who use their own cars, must be at least 55 years old and provide at least one ride a month. They are interviewed and their driving records and references are scrutinized. Only regular cars are used. If a person uses a wheelchair, they have to be able to get out of the chair on their own. More severely disabled residents are referred to other programs.

Mount Kisco resident Patricia Jordan, one of the volunteer drivers, said access to transportation is a national problem for seniors who no longer drive. Jordan has provided rides to bring seniors shopping and a variety of other destinations. The seniors are primarily in the 70s, she said.

“These people are really cognizant of the fact they really could not remain in their homes” without a means of transportation, Jordan said.

Ganis said some volunteers work part-time while others still work fulltime and provide rides at night or on weekends.

While Jordan and the program’s volunteers are providing a needed service, she receives much satisfaction in return.

“I absolutely love it,” she said. “The people that you take around couldn’t be more gracious. They’re so happy.”

Ganis said RideConnect will only grow in the coming years.

“Older adults are one of the fastest growing populations in the county and across the country,” she said. “We are now aging and we are starting to need service.”

Those looking to volunteer or who need transportation can call 914-242-7433 or 914-864-0955 or visit www.rideconnectwestchester.org.