Dublin VA needs volunteer drivers to help disabled veterans access medical care

The DAV provides transportation to qualified disabled veterans who are unable to get to their medical appointments due to financial or medical hardship.

DUBLIN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) chapter at the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center needs volunteer drivers to help veterans with getting to their medical appointments and other services.

The DAV provides transportation to qualified disabled veterans who are unable to get to their medical appointments due to financial or medical hardship.

Dublin VA Center for Development and Civic Engagement Chief Keith Griffin says elderly citizens and people with disabilities often have difficulty with transportation, and veterans are no exception.   

“When I look for a volunteer, I don’t look for a person that can drive six, eight, or nine hours, just whatever they can give,” he said. “If they can give two, three, or four hours, that’s fine with us, so that’s what we try to do.”

Griffin says his dream is to have drivers five days a week Monday through Friday who can give back to those who have sacrificed so much for this country.  

“Well it’s important because were taking care of our American heroes,” he said. “They deserve anything we can offer to them. Some of them have paid huge sacrifices for this country, and so I tell people and our community it’s a way we can give back to helping veterans.”

Former volunteer of 32 years Gus Allbritton says volunteering gave him a purpose and a sense of worth in life.

“The longer I stayed in it, the longer I wanted to do it, and I ended up staying as a volunteer for 32 years and 37,000 hours of my life I’ve devoted to this hospital,” he said. 

Anyone interested in volunteering to drive for the DAV or volunteering at the Dublin VA or one of its outpatient clinics can contact Griffin at (478) 272-1210.