Program keeping Vestavia seniors out and about

Grace Schulte, 98, may not be as spry as she once was, but that doesn’t stop her from living a full life.

Every Wednesday, Schulte, or “Ms. Grace” as she is known by most, gets her hair done at Silver Scissors hair salon.

Then, she does her weekly grocery shopping at Publix, and sometimes she goes to the bank. On Fridays, she and her grandson go to the library, and often come home with armfuls of books.

Schulte, who quit driving several years ago, is able to live the life she wants thanks to the Vestavia Hills Senior Transportation Program.

“I would just be stuck if it weren’t for them,” she said.

The program began in 1985, when then-mayor Sara Wuska realized that the city’s large senior population had a serious need when it came to getting around town.

Whether it was a doctor’s appointment across town or just a trip to the grocery store or post office, program coordinator Gayle England said Wuska saw that many seniors had to decide between using expensive transportation methods like taxis or simply giving up their lifestyle.

“Back then, we had a large population of seniors that were very involved in the community,” she said.

That included the Vestavia Hills Lions Club, which had an annual onion sale on Scout Square.  

One year, Wuska was able to convince the club to use the proceeds to pay for a vehicle that could be used for a transportation program.

Once the vehicle was obtained, England said the mayor was able to get the City Council to designate funding and turn the program into a city function.

Then, England said, the organizers turned to individuals who had recently retired or were looking for ways to volunteer, and recruited them as drivers.

“Once they got the drivers in place, then [they] started getting the riders,” she said.

England herself was a volunteer driver before she ran for City Council.

At one point, England said, the program had 22 regular drivers and 200 seniors on the list using the service.

Now, she said, many of those who volunteered to be drivers are getting to the point that they need the service themselves, including Wuska.

“I was so thrilled that the service is still in existence for her to use it,” England said, but added that now it’s sometimes difficult to make sure there is a driver for every day of the program, though in recent months she has had some younger volunteers sign up.

“We’re wanting to get more actively involved,” she said.

Right now, there are about 100 riders on the program’s list, and Schulte is one of the 25 to 35 senior adults who regularly use the program each week. She uses the service on “errand days,” Wednesday and Friday, when the service takes seniors around the city, but the service is also available on Tuesdays and Thursdays for those needing transportation to medical and dental appointments.

Bob Holbrook has been a driver for four years, starting just after he retired, and he takes Schulte on her outings each week.

“Both for drivers and riders, it’s a great experience,” he said.

Holbrook said he can see how much the seniors appreciate the ability to remain independent, and said that he truly enjoys the few hours a week he gets to spend with them.

And it’s not just running errands.

“It gets me out, and I get to meet a lot of people,” Schulte said. “We have a good time.”

Schulte moved to Vestavia in the 1990s after living a life full of travel and serving as a schoolteacher in Ensley. Now, she lives in an apartment in her daughter’s house, but thanks to the senior transportation program, she said she still has her own independence and friends.

“I have met some awfully nice people this way,” she said, after greeting a few friends in front of the grocery store.

England said she and the volunteers hope to grow the program by both recruiting more drivers and reaching out to more community members who could benefit from the service.

She said that anyone interested is welcome to go along with her on a day she drives to see what it’s like.

“That way they get to see how it works,” she said.

Those who decide to volunteer should contact the Civic Center, she said. The process is simple, she said, the only major requirement being a consent form for the city to check the individual’s driving record.

Any residents or family members of residents who could benefit from the service are also encouraged to call the Civic Center for an application. The application provides the program with an emergency contact as well as any health or mobility information that may be important.

While a trip to the grocery store or hair salon may not be as exciting as some of the other things Schulte said she has done in her life ― including living in New Orleans, where she never missed a Mardi Gras parade ― she said that knowing she has the ability to keep going places keeps her in good spirits.

“It’s all just kind of fun,” she said.

For more information or to inquire about becoming a driver or getting on the transportation list, the Civic Center can be reached at 978-0166.