Volunteers are needed to transport people with cancer to their medical appointments.
The Volunteer Cancer Drivers Society put out the call for both drivers and donations on Thursday, Jan. 9, for what they say is a growing need in Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, and across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley.
Bob Smith has been with the society for eight years and is now the president.
He estimates a single patient is often is going to have to make as many as 35 to 40 visits to the hospital over the course of their active treatment.
And relying on their family members or neighbours isn't always possible, he explained.
"That's where our compassionate and caring volunteer drivers step in to make that possible," he said.
Smith said they work hard to make sure there are enough drivers in every community because they have to be available when and where patients need them.
"Our drivers will commit the time to get you there and get you back home," explained Smith, noting that drivers will wait until the patient's appointment is finished to drive them back home again.
Often drivers will have to travel to different communities to transport patients.
Smith lives in South Surrey and he travels to Maple Ridge regularly to pick up clients.
"We go the extra mile to try and be sure we have a driver for you if needed," he said.
Judy White, a dispatcher for Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows estimates that there are already about 15 to 20 drivers in the community.
However, she said, drivers may only drive once every couple of weeks, or once a week, whenever they are able to.
She said another 10 drivers is required to help with the community's need.
Drivers transport patients Monday to Friday only, for appointments starting at 8 a.m. and run until 6 p.m., using their own vehicle.
So, if an appointment is first thing in the morning, the driver would pick up the patient around 7 a.m. because most drives are to the cancer centres in Abbotsoford, Surrey, or Vancouver, explained White.
White started as a driver about eight years ago, when the society first started, before becoming a dispatcher.
She said, volunteering with the society gives her a purpose.
White noted that a lot of the drivers and dispatchers are either cancer survivors themselves, or have had a family member whose had cancer and they just want to give back. She is also a cancer survivor, she said.
"You meet some fabulous people," added White, who enjoys listening to the stories they tell her about their lives.
The society was founded in February, 2016, and now serves every community east of Vancouver to Chilliwack.
Smith is forecasting that they will need a little more than $700,000 in donations this year to fund the program, 90 per cent of which goes to the drivers at a rate of 58 cents per kilometre, to offset the costs of gas and vehicle expenses.
Last year, more than 460 volunteers across the region including drivers, dispatchers, and the society board, helped with a record of 38,386 patient trips and Smith believes this year they will reach 42,000.
"As our population ages, the rate of cancer increases the need for transportation to care will continue to expand," he said.
He said when drivers come on board they would like for them to be available once a week for the service, but knows it's not always possible. So, everybody drives when they are available.
Smith has heard from many drivers how wonderfully gratifying the experience is to take a cancer patient to care.
He feels the same way.
Those interested in becoming a volunteer driver can fill out an application at: https://volunteercancerdrivers.ca/.
