10/10/2021
MyRide McMinn is Now Accepting Applications for Riders and Volunteer Drivers
http://www.mcminnseniors.com/
The McMinn Senior Activity Center is pleased to announce that the MyRide McMinn, a new transportation service for senior citizens is coming to McMinn County, is accepting applications (click the link for applications) for senior citizens in McMinn County that would like to sign up for rides as well as volunteers to drive for the MyRide McMinn Program. MyRide McMinn is a volunteer senior driving program linking seniors age 60+ with volunteers who will be able to drive them to essential appointments like medical offices, pharmacies, banks, and the store. MyRide McMinn is one of 30 new programs being developed across Tennessee as part of the Senior Volunteer Transportation Network and plans to begin offering rides by early November.
The service, coordinated by the McMinn Senior Activity Center, “will be available to seniors who do not drive, who have driving limitations, and who walk independently or with the assistance of a cane or walker,” said Diane Hutsell, MyRide McMinn Transportation Coordinator.
Senior citizens age 60 and older can pay $2 per ride to a location and may request one additional stop for just $1 more. The entire trip (from your house to your appointment and back) must take less than three hours and cannot go outside of McMinn County. A $25 annual fee also is charged for participation in MyRide McMinn, however, through a generous donation from John F. Young, DMD MyRide McMinn has scholarships that will be available upon request for those who need financial assistance. As a rider you will be able to schedule trips at least three business days in advance and have a volunteer driver pick you up and assist you on those trips. Drivers will not be able to provide rides to dialysis appointments or to doctor’s appointments where procedures are performed that require anesthesia. According to Hutsell, the key feature of MyRide McMinn is the use of “door-through-door assistance. A volunteer driver will offer as much assistance as needed while out and about on an appointment. Another advantage is that rides are pre-paid so there will be no need to handle money at the time of the ride.”
Drivers for MyRide McMinn will be well-screened and trained volunteers age 21 or older who will use their personal vehicles to provide the service. Volunteers are asked to commit three hours per month. Schedules are flexible and the volunteer driver can choose which trips they wish to take. The first volunteer training class will be on Thursday, October 21, 2021 from 2p-4p. Training will also be available via Zoom. Others interested in becoming a MyRide McMinn volunteer but are unable to make the training on the 21st can call Hutsell to schedule a time that is convenient for them. “We want to make sure that anyone interested in volunteering to provide this vital service to our community’s senior citizens is able to,” said Hutsell. The number of volunteers MyRide McMinn has will greatly influence the number of senior citizens that can be served.
Applications for MyRide McMinn riders and volunteers are available to pick up at the McMinn Senior Activity Center Monday-Friday from 8:30a-4p and online at www.mcminnseniors.com. The Center is also happy to mail applications. To request an application or if you have further questions about becoming a MyRide McMinn volunteer driver, to learn how to sign up for the service, or if you are interested in becoming a community supporter, please call Diane Hutsell and MyRide McMinn at 423-745-6830.
MyRide McMinn is funded through state grant funds and with the support of the Southeast Tennessee Area Agency on Again and Disability (SETAAAD), John F. Young DMD and St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
