Volunteer Opportunity: Road to Recovery

Road to Recovery is a program where volunteers drive cancer patients to and from their life saving treatments. Missing even one treatment has a great impact on the survival of a cancer patient. The great thing about this opportunity is that a person can volunteer as little or as much as they want. If a request for a ride comes in the volunteer can turn it down if they have other plans and then we would move on to the next person on our list.

Many Retirees are snow birds or have other things for which they volunteer; that’s why Road to Recovery wants to increase their pool of volunteers in the Fort Wayne area.

FACTS ABOUT ROAD TO RECOVERY

Would you drive a mile to save a life??

Road To Recovery

Cancer patients cite transportation to and from medical treatment as a critical need, second only to direct financial assistance. The American Cancer Society Road To Recovery program matches these patients with specially trained volunteer drivers who donate their time and the use of their personal vehicles. Patients in need of a ride do not need a physician’s referral, but advance notice is required by contacting the American Cancer Society. The generosity of the drivers helps ensure that cancer patients get the lifesaving treatment they need.


Why is the Road To Recovery program important?

When cancer patients don’t have transportation it can leave them with few options for completing their treatment schedules. Many of these patients need daily or weekly treatment over a period of months and simply have no way to get there. Although family and friends may be able to help, there may be many times when they’re not available. The Road To Recovery program provides transportation options for patients facing this situation.


How does Road To Recovery program work?

The American Cancer Society uses a simple screening process to help ensure the right volunteers are recruited for the program. Volunteer drivers must have a current valid driver’s license, a good driving record, access to a safe and reliable vehicle, and proof of adequate automobile insurance. The Society maintains also specific standards for driver responsibility. Understanding these standards will help both the patient and the driver be comfortable with the program. To schedule a ride to treatment, cancer patients must reach out to the Society, which will handle transportation pickups.


For More Information

For more information about the American Cancer Society Road To Recovery program or any Society program, or to find out how you can volunteer to be a Road To Recovery driver, contact your local American Cancer Society office at 260-471-3911 opt. 3 and ask for Melissa Baker, call 1-800-227-2345, or visit us at cancer.org.

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