Make an Impact on Your Community Every Time You Drive
This Saturday, October 24, is Make a Difference Day, a national day for doing something good in your own community. At the Shepherd’s Center of Northern Virginia, we’d like to suggest a difference that keeps going long after Saturday (and doesn’t cost a dime): becoming a volunteer driver.
Is this you?
- Are you looking for connection and purpose?
- Do you enjoy meeting new people and helping others in your community?
- Do you want the freedom to volunteer on your own schedule?
- Have you been wondering how to maintain a sense of purpose once you retire?
If you nodded along to any of these, we’d love to meet you.
Why it matters
Last year, SCNOVA volunteers gave more than 2,700 rides and drove over 14,000 miles for older adults in our community. Seventy-seven percent of those rides were for medical care: doctors, dentists, physical therapy, and the like.
For many of our participants, a ride is the difference between keeping an appointment and going without. As one participant, Pat B., told us: “If not for the Shepherd’s Center, I’d have to pay for a taxi to get to my appointment, which means I’d have to cut back even more on groceries.”
The impact is mutual
Here’s what surprises many new drivers: the friendship runs in both directions.
A 20-minute drive to a doctor’s office turns into a conversation about grandkids, a favorite recipe, or what the neighborhood looked like 50 years ago. Over time, drivers and participants get to know each other. Participants feel less alone, and drivers find a sense of purpose and connection they didn’t know they were missing.
Our participants notice it too. Kate C. described our drivers as “angels and a Godsend,” and another participant summed it up: “Every ride is like meeting a new friend!”
What our volunteers enjoy
- Flexible scheduling. Choose the rides that fit your week through our online Rides portal. There’s no required minimum.
- A community of your own. Join a group of like-minded, service-oriented people, with social events and appreciation gatherings throughout the year. You’ll build friendships with participants and other volunteers.
- A new view of your town. Discover corners of Northern Virginia you’ve never seen while helping a neighbor get where they need to go.
- Real difference. Our participants say thank you in ways you’ll remember, and you get to make a real impact. If not for you, we’d have to call the participant to let them know no one has picked up their service request. At the end of the day, you will feel the impact of giving to someone who relies on their neighbors for support
Make your difference this Saturday
One Volunteer. One Community. Big Difference.
Taking the first step takes just a few minutes. Make a Difference well beyond Saturday, Oct. 24. Visit www.scnova.org or call (703) 281-0538 to start your driver application.