By B.C. Manion
Eileen Moorman suffers from fibromyalgia, a condition that is debilitating and unpredictable.
“I’m not reliable,” the Land O’ Lakes woman said. That’s why she’s so grateful for the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program.
Moorman said her mother has colon cancer and experiences confusion. Moorman relies on volunteers to take her mother to her chemotherapy treatments near the University of South Florida.
Rob Roberts, a 67-year-old retired tax manager for the Florida Department of Revenue, is one of the volunteers who give cancer patients rides to their chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
The Lutz man began volunteering about 18 months ago, after reading a notice in a newspaper seeking volunteer drivers.
“I just wanted to do something to help others,” Roberts said. “It’s quite a good feeling to know that I’m doing something for others, rather than just sitting around.”
More volunteers are needed, said Nancy Nethery, a patient services manager for the American Cancer Society.
Currently, there are nine volunteer drivers to cover Pasco County and 21 to cover Hillsborough County, Nethery said. The organization has set a goal of 50 volunteer drivers for Pasco and 75 for Hillsborough.
The program is simple, Nethery said. Volunteer drivers come to a short training session, which lasts about an hour and 15 minutes.
Then, a volunteer coordinator pairs up drivers who are willing to help with patients who need a ride.
Nethery said part of the problem in attracting volunteers is that many people assume it requires a substantial time commitment, but that’s not the case.
“When we go to recruit these volunteers, we try to make it very clear to them that we don’t have any expectations about the number of days in a week that they drive,” she said. If a volunteer can only help one morning a week, between 9 a.m. and noon, that’s fine, she said. They may also want to limit where they drive, she said. For instance, some may prefer driving only to nearby treatment centers.
The volunteers simply need to let the coordinator know when and where they can drive, and the coordinator will match them with a patient.
Volunteers do not need to worry that they will have to give up their other activities, Nethery said. The program is very flexible.
“We are very challenged right now, especially in Pasco County, to find new drivers,” she said.
The program helps reduce the stress of caregivers, Moorman said. “The only bad thing is that they need more people.”
The need is great, Nethery said.
“A lot of patients are too ill to drive. They’re too elderly to drive. At this time, right now, they’re economically challenged,” she said. Some don’t have a car, don’t have money for gas or can’t afford to register their car, she added.
When a cancer patient needs a ride, they just need to get in touch with the American Cancer Society, Nethery said. An assessment will be done to be sure that are no other means of transportation.
Patients participating in the program must be able to walk on their own, Nethery said. Volunteers use their own cars, gas and insurance. They must have a clean driving record and a smoke-free vehicle.
The next training session for volunteers is from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 16 at the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge, 12810 USF Magnolia Drive.
If you need help, need more information or would like to volunteer please call (800) 227-2345.
