Archive: Around Town

In its official capacity of providing transportation to the Senior Citizens of Lansing, the dark blue 2002 Chevrolet Venture has been sighted at every Lansing house of worship, delivering elderly passengers to church suppers, events and meetings. It has also been seen in the parking lots of grocery stores, medical offices, restaurants and shopping centers.

 

When there has been a need, the Senior Citizens van has also transported patients to Veterans Administration Medical Centers and other medical facilities. It took members of one congregation to a conference in Canandaigua and another group to Aurora to walk a church labyrinth there.

Operating under a very casual and equally cooperative effort, The Lansing Older Adult Program (LOAP) and The Town of Lansing keep this mini-van on the road, whether taking elderly passengers to their church events, to do their shopping or banking, keeping medical appointments or simply socializing.

Steve Jolly fills 'er up at the Town Barn

LOAP operates the van, with its volunteer dispatcher coordinating the 15 drivers, also volunteers. The Town of Lansing holds title and its Department of Transportation provides insurance, gas and maintenance. When not on the road, the van shares a small garage with a riding lawn mower, garden tools and equipment at Woodsedge Senior Housing.

The same 1963 effort that formed one large Methodist Church out of several small ones led to the formation of The Lansing Older Adult Program in 1973. According to the May 1984 “History of the Lansing Older Adult Program 1973-1984” written by the late Blanche H. Drake, “A 38-member task force from Lansing Churches and other organizations was formed and charged with recommending worthwhile projects”.

One of those projects was the forming of an organization whose main objective was to make life easier and happier for all Lansing older residents. As a part of their work, a house-to-house survey of the population of Lansing was done in 1975 to determine the needs of the elderly.

Picking up passengers

Loneliness and transportation were two of the most pressing needs reflected in that survey. The action taken to resolve these was to utilize revenue sharing funds to buy a new 12-passenger mini-bus, to meet the transportation needs of Lansing’s elderly population.

That mini-bus was replaced by the current six-passenger mini-van, which is easier to maneuver and only requires the drivers to hold a “regular” operator’s license. The Town of Lansing office maintains complete insurance coverage.

Woodsedge resident Bea Davis has been dispatching the van since shortly after she retired as Office Manager from The Lansing United Methodist Church. LOAP policy is to provide transportation on a “first come-first serve” basis to all senior citizens in the Lansing area. Donations are accepted from passengers. That money has been used to pay for washing the van and buying miscellaneous items; a step stool, a first aid kit, some ice scrapers and other supplies.

Mrs. Davis is usually able to accommodate all incoming requests, “Because I have 15 drivers I can call on and many of them actually prefer to use their own cars. If the van is committed, we’ll find a way to get everybody where they need to go.”

Lansing Senior Citizens may call Mrs. Davis at 533-4710 to reserve the van.

 

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