THE SPIRIT OF 60+ Ride PAST – Started as Senior Resource Services with two half time employees, one client, and one volunteer driver, the first ride was given in early 2007. Rides were scheduled by phone and both rides and data were recorded and tracked by hand on paper. It was an auspicious beginning!
THE SPIRIT OF 60+ Ride PRESENT – We are now doing business as 60+ Ride as part of last year’s rebranding to brighten our image and more closely reflect the service we offer. Though restated, our mission remains to offer Weld County’s older adults the opportunity to maintain their physical, emotional, and mental health while living independently. As of the end of
October, 2019, we had 3.5 staff members, 98 volunteer drivers and 1034 registered clients of whom we’d served 209 with 7238 rides this year. Rides are now entered into a web- based scheduling program which allows volunteers throughout our expansive county to log onto their computers, choose rides to fit their schedules, and receive email and text reminders which include all necessary information about the ride and the client served.
After capacity building over the past four years, we are capable of scheduling and managing half again the current number of rides. As a result, greatly increasing our volunteer numbers remains our focus, and having the luxury of active outreach to clients who need our services remains our greatest desire.
To that end, we have a Volunteer Coordinator and a VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) member focused on the task of recruiting volunteer drivers throughout the county. They knock on doors, make calls, attend community events, and give presentations to build awareness and relationships within churches, city governments, businesses, and civic groups.
We are also actively involved in United Way’s Older Adults and Healthy Aging Collective Impact group, for which one of our projects is to recruit and utilize volunteers collaboratively. Our annual client survey once again validated our impact on the lives of those we serve with nearly 100% of respondents indicating our services have increased their independence.
