The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

12 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday January 7, 2009 www.oakvillebeaver.com Living Oakville Beaver LIVING EDITOR: ANGELA BLACKBURN Phone: 905-845-3824, ext. 248 Fax: 905-337-5567 e-mail: ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com Need a lift? YVONNE ROBERTSON / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER ON THE ROAD: Ted Davis, a long-time volunteer driver for the Oakville Branch of the Canadian Red Cross is always at the ready to climb behind the wheel and offer a ride to those in need. Volunteers drive good deeds of the Red Cross By Yvonne Robertson SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER I t is approximately 9:30 a.m. on a sunny Monday morning and Red Cross, Halton Branch driver Ted Davis is on his way to his first pickup of the day. He is driving through the streets of Oakville in a large bus designed to carry three wheelchair clients and six ambulatory passengers. The first stop is at the house of a couple where the woman uses a wheelchair. Davis maneuvers the wheelchair onto the lift and safely secures the chair inside the van. This is the first of five scheduled stops where all passengers are going to the same location -- The Joseph Brant Wellness House in Burlington. However, this is not always the case. Passengers using the Red Cross transportation service need a drive for a variety of reasons, from a doctor's appointment to social events. When speaking to those in the van, they convey their gratitude for this service. "I am very grateful for this service," said one client. "I find myself using it about two or three times a week." The clients vary in age and needs, but all admit they offer support and friendship to one another. Regular passengers often find they travel frequently with the same people. Some clients use the service several times a week and find it a less expensive alternative to taxis or public transportation. The program is made possible "It is important to provide for those in need, it's a good feeling. And I do love to drive." Ted Davis, volunteer driver, Canadian Red Cross because of the work of dedicated volunteer drivers like Davies. Most Red Cross drivers devote half a day, either the morning or the afternoon, to driving and the amount of days they do this on a weekly basis is their choice. There are currently about 35 volunteer drivers, but the Red Cross is always looking for more to keep up with the needs of the community. "There is a great demand for drivers," said Davis, who volunteers as a driver with the Canadian Red Cross in Halton. "And it will only increase with the aging population," he said. Davis has been driving for the Red Cross for nearly 31 years and in that space of time has accumulated copious amounts of experiences and memories. Davis, a Naval veteran of the Second World War, was not quite ready for retirement when the time came, so he decided to volunteer as a driver. Coincidentally, he saw the beginnings of the Red Cross transportation service in Oakville, designed to help individuals find a means of transportation to and from their various appointments. He has since seen the program grow to five Red Cross vehicles, 35 drivers and more than 300 clients. Davis interacts with the different passengers and has a conversa- tion with each of them, some of whom he has known for many years. On the return trip from the Burlington Wellness Centre, Davis receives a call to pick up another client from Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) who needs a ride home. Although most stops are prescheduled, there sometimes arises an impromptu pickup or drop off. Part and parcel of being a Red Cross driver is a flexibility to accommodate and adapt easily. It is the mission of the Red Cross to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity in Canada and around the world. The transportation service is only one of the many ways that the Red Cross puts its mission into See Red page 15