Potsdam veterans' group seeking volunteer drivers
Friday, November 06, 2009, 8:49am
POTSDAM – A Potsdam veterans’ group says it needs help from volunteer drivers for the vans they use to bring vets to medical appointments.
Dick LaPage, past commander and currently a vice-commander of the Disabled American Veterans chapter, says there five volunteers for two vans, which make several runs a week to Ogdensburg, Massena, Watertown and Syracuse, bringing veterans to clinics and other medical appointments. But he says that is not enough, and they have had to turn down some vets recently who had asked for rides.
LaPage says they can use five more volunteer drivers to cover all the runs.
“That would make for an average of one run a week, maybe three or four a month,” LaPage said.
He said the service “getting such an influx” of requests because many veterans have lost jobs in the down economy, and so they have lost their health insurance and now have to rely on medical services through Veterans Affairs.
He says the veterans’ van service in Ogdensburg is in the same boat. The services in the area coordinate among themselves to split up runs to Syracuse.
“The vans are there. I just need the drivers,” LaPage said. He said they can’t pay the volunteers anything, but that Veterans Affairs covers the gas and oil for the vans.
“You don’t have to be a vet to drive. You just need a clean driving record.
“If we can’t get more help, the program will go downhill and we won’t be able to keep it up.”
Volunteers can call van coordinator Jim Snyder at 268-1323 or 263-3650, or LaPage at 265-9422.
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