Don’t Drive and Need a Ride?
Community Partners in Caring
Has You Covered
By Tyler Hayden | August 22, 2024
Read the rest of our 2024 Active Aging cover story here.
Let’s say you’re a senior who lives at home and no longer drives, and you need a lift to the grocery store or doctor. You don’t have family in town, and you worry about imposing on friends. What do you do?
Hire a driver? That’s expensive. Call a cab? That’s pricey, too. Take the bus? Those stops are far to walk, especially if your mobility isn’t what it used to be.
Enter Community Partners in Caring (CPC), a free transportation service for Santa Barbara County seniors and mildly disabled adults who are aging in place but still want to get out and about. It’s the only nonprofit of its kind in our region and serves hundreds of clients from Santa Maria to Carpinteria.
“Imagine not being able to just jump in your car to get a bite to eat, shop, or visit a friend,” said Executive Director Hilda Zacarias. “Even though many seniors are still very active and able to take care of themselves, their ability to drive might be limited because of low vision, medication, or any number of reasons. CPC wants to give them back some of that independence.”
Powered by a team of trained and vetted volunteers, the 27-year-old organization also runs errands for clients in addition to organizing wellness calls and visits. “We’re like that friendly neighbor,” Zacarias explained. “You wouldn’t necessarily invite us over to help you shower, but we’ll definitely help with the groceries.”
Clients are asked to schedule their pickups at least five days in advance with CPC’s service coordinator (their “air traffic controller with heart”), but the team understands needs can suddenly arise. “We’re pliable,” said Zacarias, whose own parents are signed up with the program, as are many older relatives of the executive team. The directors often give rides themselves, too.
And unlike other transportation providers, CPC’s volunteers offer “door-through-door” care by walking clients into their destinations and getting them checked into appointments. “It’s a lovely thing for a person to know someone is there just for them,” Zacarias said. “We don’t accept tips, but cookies are okay.”
While CPC’s bread-and-butter service is transportation, “It is really the vehicle to developing relationships,” Zacarias explained. “No pun intended.” During their car rides, volunteers and their clients chat and get to know each other, fostering the social connections and community inroads (pun intended) that are so important for seniors. The one-on-one time also allows drivers to identify other needs their clients may have and connect them with additional resources, if needed.
That said, the organization is always looking for more people to pitch in. Headquartered in Santa Maria, CPC is in the process of expanding its South Coast coverage and hopes to soon start shuttling seniors down to Ventura. “For every new volunteer we get, we can sign up four or five new clients,” Zacarias said, noting senior-friendly transportation was identified as a top priority in a four-year plan developed by the Area Agency on Aging for Santa Barbara County.
During a recent volunteer get-together in downtown Santa Barbara, a potential new recruit named Heidi said she was interested in lending a hand. A semi-retired nurse who cared for her husband before he recently passed, Heidi acknowledged it won’t be long before she may need a ride service herself. In the meantime, she said, she’d like to help.
One of CPC’s seasoned volunteers, Maeton, said he’s enjoyed the friendships he’s formed. “The relationship thing really does happen,” he said. One of his clients is partially blind but still likes to get out to shop, he said. Another calls on him for lifts to her golf lessons. “You only have to give rides when you’re available,” he said. “It can be as infrequent as once a month. But that one trip still gives a person independence.”
Learn more at partnersincaring.org.
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