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Local veterans benefit from van |
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Friday, 10 April 2009 |
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Photo by Joseph Bell
Elk County currently participates in the Disabled American Veterans' (DAV) Transportation Network with a loaner van that the Veterans' Affairs office received March 26. County officials are anxiously awaiting their new van, which will be used to transport area veterans to and from VA medical facilities for treatment. The new vehicle is expected to arrive in June. By Joseph Bell Record Staff Writer Area veterans are benefiting from a new service in Elk County as the Veterans' Affairs office has its first Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Transportation Network vehicle, a service used to transport veterans for medical purposes.
"We received a loaner van on March 16 and we actually had our first run on Monday so we took our first veteran to an appointment so it's up and running, slowly but surely," according to Leslie Neal-Glatt, who currently serves as director of the county's Veterans' Affairs office.
"The new one is ordered but won't be in until June sometime but once they come through with Ford Motor Company, then we'll have it.
"It will go to the DAV and get the different emblems and stuff that we put on them, and then we'll receive it."
If all goes according to schedule, the new van should arrive sometime between the middle and end of June.
According to Elk County commissioner Daniel R. Freeburg, the service is long overdue for the county.
"We've been working on this I guess for years but in the last couple of months, it's really come together," Freeburg said.
To acquire the new vehicle, county officials accepted donations from a variety of people.
"These individuals and groups we felt should be recognized," Freeburg said. "There are individuals as well as civic groups, corporations and businesses.
"The response has been very rewarding and it's been a great project."
The county received donations from Ridgway VFW Entertainment Committee; Ridgway BPO Elks 8872; Ridgway Elks Lodge 872 Cerebral Palsy fund; Emporium VFW Miller Raffaele Aux. No. 6221; Horton Township Sportsmen's Club; Ridgway Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 720; Johnsonburg Rotary Club; Ridgway Eagles Benefit Bingo; Ridgway American Legion Unit 208 Women's Auxiliary; St. Marys Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 948; St. Marys VFW Post No. 1047; Elk County American Legion, St. Marys; Emporium VFW Miller Raffaele Aux. No. 6221 Bingo; St. Marys American Legion Post No. 103; St. Marys Family Center No. 146, Loyal Order of Moose; Mount Jewett American Legion Post No. 574; Francis Skok; Joseph W. Timblin; DeLullo's Deli & Car Wash; Morgan AM&T; Eastern Sintered Alloys, Inc.; GKN Sinter Metals (Kersey); Andrew & Hope Klaiber; C/G Electrodes LLC; Edgar & Maureen Donachy; Patalano's Place II; Wilma Caskey/Stephanie Campbell; Charles & Evelyn Krug; Robert & Peggy Howard; Ronald & Bonita Heindl; Clarion Sintered Metals, Inc.; Fernan Geci Law Office; Dave's Saw Shop; St. Mary's Paving Company; Bucktail Excavators; Allegheny Contractors; Joe A. Salinas; Tim Piccirillo; Shilo Presbyterian Church; Hoss's.
But despite multiple fundraisers, the program is still in need of volunteer drivers.
"That's ongoing, we'll be doing ongoing fundraising and we're just trying to get more and more volunteers," Glatt said. "You need at least 50 volunteers to keep it running and, at this point in time, I believe we're at five drivers.
"It's just because people get burned out so you have to have more people to put those runs up. It's pretty much a daily run."
According to Glatt, the transport would likely make routine runs to Erie, Altoona, Pittsburgh, Bradford, Warren and DuBois.
"Those would be the most of our runs," Glatt said. "Obviously, if the veteran needs to go for any special care out of state, that happens too.
"We're always looking for volunteers."
One of the program's first volunteers was Elk County commissioner Ronald T. Beimel, who is currently a volunteer driver. |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 30 July 2009 )
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