Road to Recovery seeking volunteers

COSHOCTON – For some cancer patients, just getting to and from doctor’s appointments for treatment is a hurdle that they face every day. A program through the American Cancer Society, Road to Recovery, hopes to eliminate that challenge for a lot of cancer patients by providing free rides to and from treatment centers and doctor’s appointments.

Tracy Barnes, community development manager of Coshocton County’s Relay for Life, said that this program hasn’t officially started in Coshocton County yet, but she hopes it can kick off within the next few weeks.

“We need this program in the Coshocton community because a lot of cancer treatment physicians from Coshocton have gone to Southeastern Medical,” said Barnes. “So now, cancer patients have to drive out of county for their treatment.”

Volunteers are needed to drive cancer patients to and from their appointments. Each potential driver is required to attend a two-hour training session and complete a background check. The training will consist of the “do’s and don’ts” of the program, a background about the program, and what the program means for patients who do not have family in the area to transport them to appointments.

“The fundraising we do with Relay for Life comes back and allows us to do programs like this,” said Barnes.

Volunteers need to be available to either drop off a patient or pick them up from the appointment or both. You do not need to be available all day to become a driving volunteer.

“Let’s say you have a part-time job and you get off work at 3 p.m.,” said Barnes. “You could volunteer to drive up to Cambridge to pick up a patient from treatment. They [the patient] are allowed to have a family member ride with them to the visit, so you don’t have to sit with the patient the whole time.”

The program is 100 percent volunteer-oriented, so each volunteer can specify their schedules and how far they are willing to travel.

Requirements to volunteer for the program include a good driving record, a current, valid driver’s license, access to a safe and reliable vehicle, proof of auto insurance, and availability Monday through Saturday.

“It is so important and it means everything,” said Barnes. “Someone who may not have family around, this is everything to them. They might not be able to get to those treatments otherwise and obviously their diagnosis is very bleak if they can’t get to treatment. This is why we fundraise to help cancer patients and their families as much as possible.”

Although there is no mileage reimbursement, volunteers are encouraged to keep track of their mileage for tax purposes.

For more information on the program, contact Barnes at 740-509-0196 or Tami Lewis, program manager, at 330-517-2070, or visit cancer.org/drive.

Category: Clubs & Organizations