ALTOONA, Pa. (WJAC) — Thousands of veterans visit Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and outpatient clinics every year, but sometimes it's difficult just to get there.
In our region, there are dozens of volunteer drivers to help veterans make their appointments, but the VA is looking for more people who are willing to give back.
The VA has about 300 volunteers working in different areas.
But officials said that, since services were expanded in the last year, they're looking for even more volunteers.
At the James E. Van Zandt Medical Center in Altoona, veterans sit patiently in the waiting room.
But it's not easy for everyone to get there in the first place.
"If you're ill and you're in pain, you don't want one more thing to worry about. And worrying about getting here is a stress on them," said volunteer Lynda Trout.
Trout is a volunteer with Disabled American Veterans. She's been driving for about a year.
"It's just a needed program, and if you're not doing anything and you can drive, you should be here helping someone,” Trout said. “And that's why I enjoy it so much, because I'm giving back to veterans, as a veteran."
"We see north of 26,000 veterans, which translates to about 230,000 visits every year," said Shaun Shenk, public affairs officer for the VA.
Shenk said all those patients come to the main facility in Altoona or to one of five community-based outpatient clinics.
"The DAV (Disabled American Veterans) drivers and the volunteers who are stepping up to drive are really vital to making sure that veterans get from their home, to their appointment, back to their home safely," Shenk said.
He said that, over the last year, the facility has expanded 17 services and hired more than 100 employees.
"We are growing and we're growing quickly,” Shenk said. “About a third of those employees are veterans. So that easily translates over to our voluntary services. The overwhelming majority of our volunteers are veterans or someone with a veteran connection."
About 300 volunteers assist with various programs.
"On an annual basis, they provide nearly 39,000 hours of service for us,” said Associate Director Derek Coughenour.
It's an opportunity to serve those who served.
"We have 14 counties around here that we have vehicles in and it's kind of a hard task to get all the veterans scheduled and get them in here at the time that they need for their appointments," said Rob Williams, hospital services coordinator for Disabled American Veterans.
With 90 volunteer drivers just through DAV, Trout said she wants others to experience the same happiness she's received.
"We just need more volunteers. We need more people that want to give back to our veterans," she said.
If you'd like to volunteer to drive or otherwise help at the hospital or clinics, you can call the VA at 814-943-8164, ext.7141.
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