It's really difficult to take care of yourself if your day-to-day responsibilities and needs can't be met because you don't have transportation. That's where Community Volunteer Transportation Company (CVTC) comes in. By driving local residents to doctor's appointments and grocery stores, CVTC's volunteer drivers offer more than a ride—they give the gifts of independence, connection, and hope.
"I became a volunteer driver for CVTC when I retired in August 2018," says Joanne Meshna of New Ipswich. "I have gotten to know some of the riders very well. We enjoy each other's company and our drives are spent chatting about politics, news, family, and life in general, with laughter sprinkled into the seriousness of it all. I'm happy to be part of their lives and help in my small way."
Without access to reliable transportation, some patients avoid scheduling preventative care or even vital treatments. According to Tricia J. Zahn, MPH, director of community strategic partnerships at Cheshire's Center for Population Health, CVTC's service, funded in part through Cheshire to support the Greater Monadnock Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), addresses a major barrier—lack of access to transportation—and offers a solution that improves the health and well-being of our community.
Beyond rides, CVTC drivers offer genuine connection. "She is the wonder of my life," says one of Meshna's regular passengers. "She makes me so grateful to be alive. I've never missed a treatment. I'm so grateful."
Joanne Meshna continues to volunteer to help her neighbors get to important appointments and to the store for food. To keep everyone safe, she always takes the recommended precautions, including wearing a mask.
If you have been wanting to give back to your community, consider driving neighbors to their essential appointments. CVTC volunteer drivers drive those without a ride to non-emergency medical appointments, the pharmacy, and grocery shopping. Riders must live in one of 34 towns of the Monadnock Region — our vetted drivers often choose to drive beyond.
Riders can keep their appointments and drivers can choose their trips and get reimbursed. Five days' notice please: call CVTC at 1-877-428-2882 x 5 to get or give a ride, or visit the CVTC website.