Page 60 - September Sun Rays

A little faith
goes a long way

By Peggie Evans

PHOTO BY SHERRY MCRAE

Georgiana Smith, a Faith in Action Georgetown volunteer, holds the door for Eva Erroude, who was getting a ride to
the Texas Drive fitness center so she could exercise. Erroude’s health prevents her from driving. Smith and Erroude are
residents of Sun City Texas.

Faith in Action volunteers drive Georgetown residents
where they need to go

Usually a couple of times a week, among many other Sun City residents director of Faith in Action Georgetown,
volunteers from Faith in Action who volunteer for the agency and who adding that many clients the agency
Georgetown come to the home of often drive Erroude to her appointments. serves also generously donate money to
Eve Erroude to pick her up and take her to help support the nonprofit group.
a medical appointment, the grocery store Faith in Action Georgetown’s volunteers
or another place she needs to go. provide free door-to-door, round-trip The agency, however, needs more
rides for seniors in Georgetown who volunteers to help meet the demand for
Erroude, a Sun City Texas resident for need transportation to go to doctors’ rides, she said. “We need more volunteers
10 years, doesn’t drive due to health appointments, grocery shopping and so we can fill all the appointments and
issues and has been relying on the other important places they must not have to use taxis,” she said.
nonprofit agency’s volunteers for help with go. Of the 500 clients the nonprofit
transportation for the past few years. “If I serves, almost half of the clients – 221 In a small percentage of cases, about 2
didn’t have this type of transportation, I people – live in Sun City Texas. Of the percent, the agency must pay for taxis
couldn’t live independently,” Erroude said. agency’s 160 volunteers, one-third of the to take clients to medical appointments
volunteers are residents of Sun City. because there are no volunteers to drive
On a recent day, Sun City resident them. Clients needing transportation
Georgiana Smith, a volunteer driver for Volunteers use their own personal cars for non-medical needs such as grocery
the agency, picked Erroude up at her and pay for their own fuel to transport shopping sometimes have to reschedule
home to take her to the fitness center seniors. “Our volunteers are very rides because volunteers aren’t available
on Texas Drive to exercise. Smith is generous,” said Rita Handley, executive to take them, Handley said.

58 | SUNRAYS SEPTEMBER 2015 ONLINE: SCTEXAS.ORG