No TASC too large or small

No TASC too large or small
Volunteers with Transportation Assistance for Seacoast Citizens honored with Spirit of the Seacoast award

By Lily Robertson
features@seacoastonline.com
September 27, 2008 6:00 AM

You're 85 years old and you no longer have a driver's license. You do, however, have a weekly dialysis treatment, without which, quite simply, you will die a slow and painful death.

You have no family in the area to assist you, and most of your friends are peers in the same boat. Public transportation will not get you to and from your appointments.

Who do you call? You call the TASC Force!

Medical needs are not negotiable, and neither is the devotion of the TASC volunteers when it comes to getting people to their destinations. Which is why TASC (or Transportation Assistance for Seacoast Citizens) has won the Spirit of the Seacoast Award.

The Spirit of the Seacoast Volunteer Award is made possible by Federal Savings Bank's partnership with the United Way of the Greater Seacoast. The quarterly award was created to promote volunteerism in the community. Recipients are acknowledged with an award from the United Way of the Greater Seacoast and receive $500 from Federal Savings Bank to be given to the Seacoast charity of the recipient's choice.

TASC is a small group. On any given day it has about 40 drivers, give or take. Those 40 drivers manage to provide more than 200 rides per month to people who would otherwise be stranded, without medical care. And in spite of the rising cost of gas, these volunteers drive their charges back and forth using their own vehicles and paying for the trips out of their own pockets. Yes, they can write off the mileage on their tax deductions, but for charitable endeavors, the going rate is 14 cents a mile. The Give Act H.R. 2857 (www.opencongress.org/bill/110-h2857/show) may increase the amount to 41 cents per mile. Today, however, the volunteer drivers for TASC eat the cost out of their own, personal budgets.

How can this be worth it? According to Maureen Armstrong, a full-time medical professional who squeezes rides into her busy schedule, being able to watch the improvement in one of her riders, a dialysis patient, is reward in itself.

"It's more than just a ride," said Carol Gulla, program director for the group. These people truly care about their charges. She recounted a story about one older lady who had health concerns requiring four and five visits to the doctor each week. When the woman sheepishly asked for a ride, just once, to a library so she could have something on her calendar that didn't involve a hospital, the TASC group was happy to help.

They worry about the upcoming winter's heating costs for their passengers who have low incomes. They worry about how their passengers will get groceries when they don't have rides. If they're worried about one of their usual passengers between visits, they'll call up the folks at Meals on Wheels to ask how the person's doing, or give them a head's up that this individual might need a little extra attention.

James Kennedy, a volunteer driver, made a side trip one day to get ice cream when he discovered it was his passenger's birthday. Really, he didn't have a choice. He had already gotten emotionally involved in this particular family's courage through some truly heart-wrenching struggles, and he knew if there was a chance that a small thing like an ice cream cone could brighten their day, he would buy the ice cream first, then ask permission later.

It's not all smooth sailing. Like any superhero, the TASC group has kryptonite to work around. Many hospitals, because of privacy policies, won't give out information on the location of patients. A TASC driver may show up at a doctor's office for the return trip, and if the patient isn't in the waiting room, the receptionist won't be allowed to tell the driver if the patient is still undergoing treatment. If the patient is elderly, the driver then has to wonder if the patient wandered off and panic sets in over a possibly lost person.

More hospitals are getting to know the TASC group, however, and are even recommending it as a reliable source of transportation. This is great news for the TASC people, and at the same time, leads to another difficulty. With so few drivers, and such great need, how do they get everyone from point A to point B? It's a catch-22 situation. There are, unfortunately, times when they have to turn people away. Demand is greater than supply. Most of the TASC volunteers have full- or part-time jobs and are only available on a limited basis. Some areas, such as Hampton and Seabrook, are woefully undermanned. Also, because the group cares so much about its passengers, a volunteer can't just walk in off the street and grab a route. Joining the TASC group requires background checks, driving history, and training.

And many of the TASC drivers have their own health concerns to deal with. As Dick Alsterberg quipped, "Some days there's a fine line between being a driver and a drivee." They take time off for their own medical needs, and jump right back behind the driver's seat the minute they're back in shape. Gulla frequently has to remind her drivers that if they don't take care of themselves first, they won't be able to help their riders.

The people they help, as well as the people who see them at work, can't say enough about them. The letters nominating them for the Spirit of the Seacoast award include statements such as:

—¦it has helped my mother-in-law feel more independent as well as supported and connected to her community." — Julie and Dave Higgins of Stratham.

"Most truly, I do not know how I would get to doctor appointments and physical therapies without these wonderful, dedicated individuals who get me where I need to go for my health care." — Patricia O'Malley, passenger.

"Our patients have benefited tremendously from TASC. Before TASC, patients often paid taxi companies hundreds of dollars each week to transport them to dialysis. Or, they skipped dialysis treatments, putting their health in great jeopardy." — Martha Hanley, renal social worker, Exeter Dialysis-Fresenius Medical Services.

The folks at TASC move more than people. They move hearts.

MORE INFO

To learn more about Transportation Assistance for Seacoast Citizens and how you can help, visit www.tasc-rides.org or call 926-9026. Need a ride? Call the same number and Carol Gulla will find a way to get you where you need to go.

To find volunteer opportunities in your community, United Way has a Web site at www.uwgs.org listing groups by category, skill, and location needs.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20080927-LIFE-809270301