American Cancer Society Driven To Help Cancer Patients Road to Recovery Program In Desperate Need of Volunteer Drivers INDIANAPOLIS, June 30, 2014 – Last year 97 cancer patients from Marion County found a free solution to at least one of their problems. Some find the problem so overwhelming; they don’t even try to fight their cancer. What could make them give up? They have no way to get to their treatment. Lack of transportation has become a major problem for thousands of cancer patients. Many patients need daily or weekly treatment, often over a period of months, and they simply have no transportation or are too ill to drive themselves. Family and friends can help, but sometimes it’s just not enough. Road to Recovery is one of the many volunteer-based patient service programs offered by the American Cancer Society. The program relies on volunteer drivers to take cancer patients to and from their treatment appointments. Because of a lack of volunteers, some cancer patients find themselves either having to scramble to find rides to their life-saving treatments or else miss their appointments altogether. “Those 97 patients in Marion County needed 2,443 rides last year. Many need to go daily for treatment. We hear from new patients every day. We have a critical need for volunteer drivers, specifically in the Marion County area and throughout the state. Cancer patients find it particularly difficult to always rely on family and friends to get to and from their treatments,” said Robin Tate, mission delivery specialist with the American Cancer Society in Indianapolis. “Some patients are alone and physically can’t drive themselves or can’t afford a cab service.” “This is a very flexible volunteer opportunity and it is up to each volunteer to decide how often and how far they wish to drive to help cancer patients in our community. We need volunteers available during weekday, daytime hours. Supporting the American Cancer Society through volunteer service is a very rewarding and productive way of making a personal statement against cancer,” added Tate. The requirements include holding a current valid driver’s license, having a safe driving record and proof of insurance. There is an application process and training is provided. To receive more information about volunteering for Road to Recovery or other volunteer opportunities, call the American Cancer Society at 800-227-2345. About the American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end cancer for good. As a global grassroots force of three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping you stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early, helping you get well by being there for you during and after a diagnosis, by finding cures through groundbreaking discovery and fighting back through public policy. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than $4.0 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 16:11:03 +0000
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