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RSVP Serves Community With No Cost Transportation

The City of Beloit is providing grant funds for homelessness prevention and response services to various non-profits serving Beloit residents. One of the grants is for the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program for the No Cost Transportation program to give those in need of transportation to medical and other necessary appointments.
 
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)-funded program has served 11 clients with 304 miles driven during 24 trips from June-September 2023. Drivers have donated 22 hours of their time to complete these trips.
 
RSVP shared this story about the program: “One of our clients was going to the YMCA once a week for warm water therapy to help her walk better, then her driver became ill and was unable to take her. She then reached out to RSVP for rides and we were able to get her to therapy once a week.”
 
The program works like this: The driver picks the rider up at their place of residence, takes them to their appointment, often escorting them into specific office areas, waits for them and then delivers them safely back to their residence. These individuals have doctor appointments, lab appointments, procedures, prescriptions to pick up, and more that they would not be able to do without this service.
 
This is a service to the rider as well as to the medical facilities setting the appointments they are delivered to. The various medical operations have repeatedly requested the assistance of RSVP to get their patient to necessary appointments and procedures. They have also thanked RSVP for the assistance, saying it has helped the individual get otherwise missed treatments and services.