Carson City veteran transportation service expands with sheriff's office VIP's for Vets van
A service of the Carson City Sheriff's Office Volunteers in Partnership Program, called "VIPS for Vets" now has more transportation availability for local veterans after recently acquiring a van from the state of Nevada.
The 2001 Dodge van, purchased for $1,000, can provide room for 8 people at a time, allowing more homebound veterans the opportunity to be able to have transportation to and from doctor appointments, the post office, the store or other kinds of errands they need to do.
The VIPS for Vets program, established by Sheriff Ken Furlong two years ago under the umbrella of the VIP program, is overseen by coordinator Ken Smith. The transportation program has been enormously successful, having served 150 veterans last year with hundreds of vehicle trips.
The need for the van was due to the success of the program. Around 10 volunteer drivers had been assigned a single sheriff's office VIP vehicle, which could only hold 3 or 4 people at a time, said Smith. The demand for transportation had outgrown the VIP vehicle as the number of requests for daily transportation grew.
The van, which had been well cared for as a state vehicle, now allows seven to 8 veterans and the driver to ride comfortably, said Smith.
"It's perfect for picking up multiple people for multiple trips," said Smith, noting that Vital Signs Banners and Graphics of Carson City did the detail work.
Those interested in volunteering for the VIPS program can contact Smith at (775) 887-2020, Extension 41932 or (775) 283-7810 or at the Sheriff's Office Administration Building at 911 East Musser Street. If vets need a ride, they can call those telephone numbers.
Sheriff Furlong said volunteer organizations have been engaged with vet services throughout the city and have done an outstanding job. One of the areas experiencing demand was transportation needs, which is how and why the VIPS for Vets program was established.
"The demands had grown to a point where many of our homebound veterans, some in need of medical care, found it difficult to get to and from the places they needed to go," said Sheriff Furlong.
The Sheriff's Office VIP program came forward to help, providing transportation assistance from volunteer drivers. As the demand grew, so was the need for a bigger vehicle.
"The acquirement of the van shows how support agencies have recognized the same challenges and wanted to assist us in facilitating this need," said Furlong. "Our veterans are cherished in this community and we want to make sure none of them are left behind."
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