Dublin, Ga. — The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) chapter at the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center needs volunteer drivers to assist veterans with getting to their medical appointments and other services.
Dublin VA Voluntary Service chief Dean Swan says that elderly citizens and persons with disabilities often have difficulty with transportation and veterans are no exception. Providing healthcare in the often distant health care services in rural Georgia adds to the challenge.
“The rural areas of Georgia are beautiful and make the State a wonderful place to live, but getting veterans to their appointments from the many distance locations in our service area is quite a challenge, making the need for volunteer DAV drivers critical” Swan said.
A national veteran support organization that provides assistance to veterans disabled in service to the nation, DAV strives to provide veterans in need with transportation to health care appointments through its Volunteer Transportation Program. The DAV provides transportation to qualified disabled veterans who are unable to get to their medical appointments due to financial or medical hardship. The local DAV chapter assists veterans in the Dublin VA’s service area of 52 counties in middle and southern Georgia.
According to local DAV program coordinator Shawna Hunt, volunteer drivers are indispensable for getting veterans to their health care.
“I can’t say enough about the contributions that our volunteer drivers make. Without them we would not be able to meet our veterans’ needs,” said.
Swan said that the Dublin DAV chapter does an excellent job transporting veterans but that drivers are always needed. He noted the importance of the contributions that volunteers make to veterans’ welfare.
“As far as I’m concerned, the folks that volunteer to drive those DAV vans and help our veterans are heroes,” Swan said.
“If you are a veteran who needs to see a doctor but can’t get a ride, seeing that DAV van drive up can be very reassuring,” he said.
Anyone interested in volunteering to drive for the DAV at the Dublin VA or one of its outpatient clinics can contact Shawna Hunt at 478-277-2775 or Shawna.Hunt@va.gov to learn more about qualifications and how to file an application. To volunteer as a DAV driver or in another capacity at the Dublin VA, contact Dean Swan at 478-277-2729 or Aldean.Swan@va.gov for more information.