What started as an intern training exercise became a creative volunteer driver recruitment strategy for Northern Essex Elder Transport (NEET), which coordinates volunteer transportation for 14 Councils on Aging in the Northeastern corner of the state. NEET Administrator Ginny Salem asked intern Chris Kendrick, a Northern Essex Community College student, to interview some of the program's volunteer drivers about their experiences to help him learn about the program. Due to the pandemic, Kendrick conducted the interviews by Zoom, and recorded them. Upon watching the recordings, Salem realized the conversations could be more than a training exercise. NEET edited the videos and published them on their website as a series of volunteer driver testimonials attesting to the benefits of volunteering.

 

2020 has introduced new challenges to volunteer recruitment. NEET suspended operations in March and resumed driving in October. During the months they were not operating, Salem sought to keep her volunteers engaged, and she has also been developing innovative volunteer recruitment strategies to rebuild her volunteer base as some volunteers have health concerns that preclude them from resuming their volunteering. From Kendrick's conversations with drivers, Salem also got some ideas for training that volunteers would appreciate and has been working on arranging optional sessions on these topics as an additional engagement and recruitment strategy. In September, she brought in a home health agency to deliver a virtual training on helping riders get into and out of the backseat, and she is currently planning a virtual training on providing emotional support to older adults who are going through a hard time - both directly responding to topics that emerged from driver interviews.

 

Salem has also continued some of her regular volunteer recruitment strategies, such as online postings on Volunteer Match, regular presentations (now virtual) at local Rotary Clubs, and interviews on local radio stations. "You can't keep asking people to volunteer the same way," she counsels. "You have to engage them in a different way. Don't use the same message week after week - switch it up so people notice it."

In November, the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) partnered with the MBTA's Travel Instruction Program and local Councils on Aging to offer virtual presentations on older driver safety and riding public transit. Michele Ellicks, RMV Community Outreach Coordinator, and Kelley Campbell, Program Manager of the MBTA's travel instruction program, jointly presented a webinar on "Rediscovering the T and Exploring Driver Retirement while Maintaining Independence" to older adults in Lexington November 2, Quincy November 12, Needham November 16, and Acton November 17. For each webinar, Ellicks highlighted resources from the RMV to support older drivers and driver retirement, older driver crash factors, and how to surrender a license and get a state ID. Campbell discussed how to ride the MBTA, how the MBTA is promoting rider safety during COVID, how to get a discounted Charlie Card, and how the MBTA can support individuals in learning to ride transit.

 

To set up a similar event in your community, contact Michele Ellicks.