Volunteer Drivers Needed
Volunteering is a rewarding experience. By being a volunteer driver, you goal is to provide transportation for others that will help ease some of the burden and stress that people faces while they are focusing on healing and getting better which makes you feel needed.
Volunteer drivers are wanted for all communities within Aroostook County, Patten area in Penobscot and Danforth area in Washington County. If you have time to give and enjoy driving and meeting people, this might be the thing for you. All volunteers are reimbursed for the use of their vehicle and will be asked to transport individuals to medical appointments and family reunification meetings and services. When you volunteer, you tell us when you are available to transport.
Volunteers must be willing to have background checks through Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Department of Motor Vehicle, State Bureau of Identification. The orientation program includes the following training: defensive driving, children’s transportation (only willing to transport children), and First Aid/CPR. All volunteer vehicles will be inspected by ARTS as well as LogistiCare (if willing to drive MaineCare clients).
Mileage reimbursement is given and is between $.44 (includes all vehicle miles) and $.70 (includes only client miles) depending on which contract covers the trip.
For more information on becoming a volunteer driver, please call ARTS at 764-5246.
Quote from the National Volunteer Transportation Center:
“Stories from the Road....Stories of the Heart – 2nd Edition”
I Am the Real Beneficiary
The best part of being a volunteer driver is the personal satisfaction I derive from helping those who need help, and by doing so in a direct and immediate one-to-one way. The benefits I enjoy from the personal visits with my riders go well beyond those I get by being a blood donor or by donating money to a good cause. My riders almost always make my day better by sharing their lives with me. I learn of their experiences, their opinions, their hopes, accomplishments, joys and disappointments. An on a rare occasion, I sense that I am able to improve my rider’s day through empathetic listening and by words of appreciation and encouragement. As a result of these associations, I consider myself the beneficiary of my volunteer driving effort.
Charles Wright
Volunteer Information and Application