Westmoreland Veterans Affairs Provides Rides with Van Program
When Air Force veteran Daryl Radaker didn’t have a way to get to his doctor’s appointments in Pittsburgh, he turned to the Westmoreland County Veteran’s Affairs Office for help.
Now, he is able to make his appointments each week by using a free van transportation program provided by the county office.
The van service is excellent, said Radaker, 60, of Loyalhanna Township.
Now, the program is hoping to add more drivers to expand its reach and help more veterans like Radaker.
The program is a joint effort between Disabled American Veterans and Veterans Affairs facilities in Pennsylvania. It provides free rides to veterans who need to be transported from Westmoreland County to the VA’s University Drive hospital in Pittsburgh and the H.J. Heinz hospital in O’Hara.
The program has five volunteers who drive dozens of veterans each week in one of two vans. One van is used five days a week and the other two days a week.
The goal is to use the second van five days a week as well.
Having more volunteers would allow us to utilize that second van more regularly, said Matt Zamosky, director of the Westmoreland County Veteran’s Affairs Office. Right now when it’s just sitting there, it’s not helping people.
The Greensburg VA clinic is used mainly for primary care services. If veterans need other services such as an MRI, chemotherapy, or drug and alcohol classes, they have to travel to one of Pittsburgh’s VA facilities.
For some veterans, getting to those facilities can be difficult.
We do get busier in the winter, Zamosky said. People are less prone to drive to the city.
Radaker has been using the van service for about a year and said he probably wouldn’t be able to go to his appointments if he couldn’t take the van.
I don’t know my way around Pittsburgh, he said. It’s been a good service for me.
Radaker said he didn’t know there was a need for more drivers but praised the current volunteers.
The ones they have are very good drivers, he said. They’re always on time.
Zamosky said this program probably helps the most veterans out of any program offered. He said 10 percent of the Westmoreland County population are veterans, which amounts to about 35,000 people.
That puts us at the second highest veteran population behind Allegheny (County), he said.
The program is looking for drivers who can volunteer their time a few days a week to give some of the current drivers a break and expand services.
It’s not really a job for them. It’s born out of a desire to help, he said. Their time is valuable, and there may come a point where they’re not able to give it as freely.
Irwin resident Tom Patterson, 70, is one of those drivers.
An Army veteran himself, he decided to give back and start driving about seven years ago.
I retired and ran out of stuff to do and saw an ad in the paper, Patterson said.
Patterson drives two days a week and travels all over the county picking up veterans at their homes.
I just get to meet a lot of nice people, he said. It’s nice just helping somebody.
Patterson said he enjoys being able to talk with the veterans and hear their stories. He said they always appreciate the rides.
I get a daily thank you from everybody, he said.
Patterson said he will continue to drive as long as he is able.
It gives me something to look forward to every week, he said.
Zamosky said applicants have to go through a four- to six-week approval process that includes a background and driving check.
It’s just because of liability and the fact that the veterans are probably the VA’s most important commodity, he said.
Zamosky said they already have received several interested applicants and he hopes to have the first one driving by the beginning of January.
It’s a lot of work to keep going, but it’s a great program that benefits our veterans, Zamosky said.
Emily Balser is a freelance writer for Trib Total Media.
Tags: Veterans News
