CTN Board Members Experience Ride Along

Last week, 4 of our board members participated in ride alongs. Here is an excerpt of an email we received from Jon about his experience: “…my ride along was eye opening. I knew we were providing transportation, but I didn’t fully understand how dependent our riders are on us, and honestly how we are, or have become, family for our riders.

The first person we picked up talked my ear off. She shared a story about how she was in the hospital before Christmas, was able to go home before Christmas day, and how glad she was to spend Christmas with her cat. Not her family members, but her cat. Her cat was really all she had. She went on to share that she hasn’t be able to drive for some time and although some of her family members occasionally help her with transportation, some won’t share their phone numbers with her. She knows they are in Fort Wayne, but she doesn’t know how to get a hold of them. She admitted she knew they didn’t share their phone numbers because they didn’t want to help her. So, so sad, I felt terrible for her. We honestly are probably one of the few things in her life she can count on. She shared as soon as she learns of a doctor’s appointment, she calls CTN to schedule a ride, often several weeks in advance. We are something stable and dependable in her life, we are her family!! We are not her only family, but we are a large part of what she considers family, and we play a hug roll in her life for sure.

Jim, the driver, was wonderful. Very knowledgeable of the mechanics of the van, how to operate the I-pad, his route, and his riders. He was very kind, opened doors, helped people in and out of the van, offered his arm for riders as they walked out to the van and got on. He said more than once, ‘we are door to door service and in some cases door through door service.’ It was a great experience for me and one I won’t soon forget, thank you!!”