BY RILEY WILSON
Eudora senior citizens will soon have their own transportation program, but its future is dependent on volunteers being willing to step up and help.
Eudora officials and the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County have been working on the issue of senior transportation since a senior summit two years ago determined this was a priority need.
Now, the Senior Wheels program is coming to Eudora to provide senior citizens with their own taxi service to take them to appointments, run errands or make other personal stops in Douglas County. The program will dedicate a handicap-accessible van specifically to Eudora.
The Eudora Senior Wheels will use volunteer drivers and be free of charge for seniors to use the service. Riders can make donations, but no one will be turned away for financial reasons.
The hours of the program will be dependent on the number of volunteers who step up and their availability. The program will be available to seniors within city limits as well as rural residents.
While there’s not a firm launch date for the Eudora Senior Wheels program, Eudora Vice Mayor Ruth Hughs said the goal is to have the program up and running by the end of October.
Eudora resident Ron Nicholson said he thinks this is a major area of need. At least three times a week, Nicholson and his wife drive to and from Lawrence to take their daughter, who has cancer, to get medicine, the grocery store or to appointments.
He wants to help Seniors Wheels get started by volunteering as a driver.
“I'm almost 80 years old and I don't know how long I can help them, but I’d like to see this thing started,” Nicholson said.
Michelle Meier, director of community engagement at the Senior Resource Center, said the Eudora program is modeled after the one in Baldwin City that has a van dedicated specifically to Baldwin City seniors.
The Baldwin City Senior Wheels has been running since 2012 and has had much success.
“We knew the success of what it could do in smaller communities and so that was really our intention to pattern that,” Meier said. “Basically, it’s our motivation to try and serve the smaller communities directly as much as we can.”
The current Senior Wheels program is housed in Lawrence and serves all of Douglas County. Meier said while the program does serve Eudora residents, she knows it’s not always convenient for it to be located outside the community.
“We’re really excited to launch this program so that the seniors in Eudora have a dedicated service there in the community,” Meier said.
In her role as vice mayor, Hughs has also played a key part in helping bring Senior Wheels to Eudora.
“I’m just a senior citizen that wants to make this a place where seniors are given opportunities to thrive, and this is one piece of that,” Hughs said.
She said the biggest need for the program now is volunteers as at least 10 volunteers are needed for the program to start.
There are currently needs for a coordinator, dispatcher and drivers. Volunteers will undergo a background check and a training class before starting with the program.
“I really challenge each person who has time to volunteer, whatever amount of time that is,” Hughs said. “Just soul search a little to see if this is where you can help Eudora.”
Interested volunteers can contact Heidi Briery, the director of transportation services at the Senior Resource Center. She can be reached at (785) 727-7877 or hbriery@yourSRC.org.
Reach reporter Riley Wilson at eudoratimes@gmail.com.
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