When you become a cancer patient, it can feel as if your life is no longer your own.
Suddenly, your weeks and months seem consumed by one appointment after another. An entire team of specialists becomes dedicated to helping you through the sometimes long and exhausting process of treatment and recovery.
Getting to and from all these appointments adds another layer of anxiety. This is especially true for people who live far from treatment centres and don’t have many transportation options.
That’s where volunteer drivers and dispatchers with the Volunteer Cancer Drivers Society can make a huge difference in the lives of cancer patients and their families
“The cancer drivers have helped me immensely,” Yvonne says in a testimonial on the society’s website. “They are kind, supportive, caring and a comfort in a time that much is needed.
“During my son’s chemo treatments I was nervous and anxious. My driver always made me feel at ease and we always had a good laugh. It meant a lot to me that I could sit with my son and comfort him when he wasn’t feeling well. The drive to and from the hospital was never an uncomfortable one.
“I don’t know how I could have done it or continue to do it, without their help and support.” There are two ways to volunteer.
Dispatchers are needed to coordinate drivers, working out of their own homes. While English is a required language skill, volunteers who speak Mandarin, Cantonese, Tagalog, Punjabi, Hindi, or Japanese are also needed. People skills include having a pleasant phone manner and an ability to problem solve and multi-task. Computer skills include training on the association’s web-based software system, date entry, and receiving and sending emails.
Drivers provide free transportation to appointments related to cancer treatments and medical care for adults, seniors, and children, along with their caregivers or parents. The time commitment is a minimum of one day a week for weekday appointments between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Drivers must be over the age of 21, have good listening skills and be empathetic and reliable. They receive full training and support and will be reimbursed for the number of kilometres they drive.
Applications and more information are available at:http://www.volunteercancerdrivers.ca www.volunteercancerdrivers.ca.
