HALDIMAND—Wheels of Hope is looking for fresh volunteers to come on board for their local patient transportation service.
The program dates back to the 1950s, when the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) first began providing transportation to people in Ontario undergoing cancer treatment. It is renowned for its 70-plus year history of service in communities across the country.
“Wheels of Hope is offered all over Haldimand County, provided we have a volunteer driver to take them,” said volunteer recruiter Mark Kahan. There are nine drivers volunteering in the Haldimand and Niagara region currently, providing over 7,500 rides for 296 clients in the past year.
“A volunteer driver will pick them up from their home, take them to the cancer centre, and take them home as soon as they’re done,” said Kahan. “It’s not just the transportation the volunteer is providing. It is so much more than that!”
Such a role takes a special type of person, with kindness and compassion being central values shared by all who take part.
“Some people don’t want to talk about cancer, they want to talk about the Leafs game, or they share stories about their own history and life. It can be a very special experience,” said Kahan.
He recounted one such experience shared by a local volunteer: “A lady … mentioned that she was a very big Elvis fan. So, the volunteer had satellite radio and started playing an Elvis station on her radio. She started singing along with Elvis and was singing all the way to her treatment.”
He continued, “She was just tickled pink…. Our volunteers not only get them there safely, but can also take a lot of stress off their plates as well. In a world today where we hear a lot of negative news, there are beautiful acts of kindness and compassion going on every single day in the Wheels of Hope program.”
Locally, Kahan said the need for volunteers with weekday availability has been challenging, noting Dunnville has no active volunteer drivers.
“Providing we have someone available in Hamilton, they will drive to Dunnville to pick someone up. If we don’t have someone then we have no choice but to deny the ride, which is something we never want to see happen.”
He said that Dunnville alone could use up to six volunteers, but that the need exists in all corners of Haldimand and southern Ontario.
“We want to ensure that anyone who doesn’t have a way to get to their treatment can get one through the Wheels of Hope.”
Kahan himself started as a driver: “I was humbled how most of the people are just so incredibly grateful for a stranger driving them. The appreciation is REALLY felt. They don’t have to drive or look around for expensive parking, they can relax and focus on themselves and getting well.”
He noted how common it is for volunteers to get as much – or more – out of the experience as the people they are helping.
“It’s a beautiful win-win volunteer experience. Volunteers can use their own vehicles and we do provide a mileage reimbursement or tax receipt. Online training is provided and support for any reason is just a phone call away from one of our Transportation Specialists.”
“If you like to drive, enjoy chatting with new people, and have a few weekdays to spare in a month please consider signing up for Wheels of Hope. It’s a very heartwarming experience,” concluded Kahan.
He shared one last comment from a client to a volunteer, which sums up the heart of the program: “It’s because of people like you, people like me are still alive.”
If you are interested in signing up, visit volunteercancer.ca to sign up, or send an email to volunteer@cancer.ca.
