Ralph Ellison is looking for a few good men – and women.
For years, Ellison, along with others, have volunteered todrive veterans from Greeley and Evans to a Veteran’s Administration clinic inLoveland and to the Cheyenne VA Medical Center in Wyoming.
It’s a five-days-a-week kind of job, but it’s also rewarding to give back, said Ellison, who spent several years in the Air Force and is a retired bus driver from San Diego.
“It is very rewarding,” Ellison said of his volunteerefforts to drive the veterans. “It’s a service that is provided by volunteers,they take their time for that day and we can help veterans.”
The service is provided by the local Disabled American Veterans, and Ellison has served as the transportation coordinator for the past eight years. The volunteers pick up veterans at the Greeley Mall five days a week for trips to Loveland and Cheyenne – if people need to make those trips. The vans the volunteers drive are designed to accommodate wheelchairs, and to make the drive as comfortable as possible.
Starting June 1, the vans will leave at 7:15 a.m. for Loveland and the last van leaving the Loveland clinic is at 3:15 p.m. another will leave the Evans VFW at 7 a.m. The van going to Cheyenne leaves at 7 a.m., and returns starting at 3 p.m.
Ellison tries to maintain a group of 10 drivers for eachdestination, but he’s finding it harder to find drivers to make the longerdrive up to Cheyenne. So, he’s looking for more volunteers to help make thedrive.
To be a part of the program doesn’t require a special driver’s license – a regular license is fine – but volunteers to have to undergo a physical and background check in Cheyenne before working with veterans.
For more information about how to get involved call between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. at (970) 310-1200
