Catch-a-Ride fills void, program needs drivers

Getting around Johnson County is hard if you do not have a car or cannot drive because of injury or age.

Taking away a person’s car keys, especially the elderly, is like handing them a jail sentence, said Barbara Gerhard, who works for the Johnson County Human Services Agency on Aging’s Catch-a-Ride program.

“Without a car, can you imagine all the places you can’t go?” she asked.

Catch-a-Ride fills that void, with Gerhard matching up volunteer drivers with people who need a ride.

“The big need (for drivers) lately is because of cancer,” she said. “There are so many people with cancer and they need to get (to the appointment) for treatments. For a lot of those radiation treatments, they are only 15 minutes long, but it’s picking the people up and getting them there and then home, and they have to be there everyday; that’s a real challenge for me.”

The challenge is because Gerhard does not have enough volunteer drivers to always meet the demands of people needing rides.

“We’ve been here 10 years,” she said. “We startedout with one volunteer and one person who needed a ride. Now we have 100 volunteers and have about 20 rides a day and we’re still looking for more drivers.

“When they saw (Sun Publisher) Steve (Rose’s) column, he did such a good job highlighting (Catch-a-Ride), I got all these calls from people who had read the column and said they needed rides. I could use another 20 volunteers.”

Jim Seymour, Overland Park, has been a volunteer driver since he retired four years ago.

“When I retired I wanted to do volunteer work, some hands-on things, so I got into the Meals-on-Wheels program, which is under the same umbrella as the Catch-a-Ride program,” he said. “I’ve had no bad experiences and every ride is an experience. You’re pleased with yourself, and although you don’t necessarily pat yourself on the back, you know you did some good that day.

“It’s about giving back to the community more than anything else.”

Gerhard said volunteer drivers should have a car, a valid driver’s license, be current on their insurance and be at least 25 years old.

“We have volunteers of all ages,” she said. “We have people who bring their kids with them as a way to teach them about volunteering and they want their kids to associate with elderly people. Some do community service work so they are helping their kids in that way; they drive while the kids help the person or carry on a conversation with an elderly person.

“To be a volunteer, basically, you have to have a willingness to reach out and step out of your comfort zone.”

There is no fee to use Catch-a-Ride services, but Gerhard said donations are accepted.

There are other organizations in Johnson County that provide rides such as the Johnson County Transit’s Special Edition and its Mobile Links program; both are fee-based depending on eligibility and income guidelines. For information, call 782-2210.

Riders eligible for Special Edition need to schedule their rides at least 48 hours in advance by calling 362-3500.

Local Links provides transportation to residents in certain Johnson County communities.

The Jewish Community Center (327-8000) just started a fee-based program to match up drivers and riders, and the city of Olathe has a taxi service for low-income seniors who can apply for coupons at Olathe City Hall (971-8700).

Gerhard said people like the flexibility of Catch-a-Ride.

“I had a lady the other day who was holding her teeth in her hands calling me at 8 and she had an appointment at 10,” Gerhard said. “We were able to get her there because we have some drivers willing to go at a moment’s notice.”

Barbara McElheny, who is 76 and lives in Overland Park Tower, agrees.

“When I moved here two years ago, I called them and they were here on time, and they’ve been on time every time I’ve called them,” she said. “I use them two to three times a week.

While the elderly comprise most of the ride requests, the program is for anyone who needs it.

“I had a gentleman call me and said he fell off the ladder,” Gerhard said. “He had a doctor’s appointment that afternoon and he was afraid to drive because he was dizzy. He told me, ‘I’m not going to admit to anyone I fell off my ladder, so I’m calling you.’”

Gerhard said she wants people to think about volunteering their time to help others.

“If I could say one thing to people , it would be to consider the fact that none of us are immune to this problem,” she said.

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