For the past five years, Rick Neinhuis has helped many people in his community by simply giving them a ride.
Rick volunteers four days a week with the transportation program in Sarnia. The program provides rides to elderly, frail or injured members of the community to medical appointments, dialysis, shopping trips or day programs.
He drives clients from point A to point B, but he feels the relationships that are created are more important than the transportation itself. “Within that 15 minutes or 30 minutes you become part of their life, you get to know them and their stories,” he says. “Sometimes people just need to talk.”
Over the years, Rick has gotten to know many of his clients. One of those clients is an elderly lady he adoringly calls “his Dutch friend.” He asks her about her life. She asks Rick about his daughter who is in university. He offers her a hand or an arm while escorting her to her front door. “She is really a lovely lady,” he says.
Click here to read more about Rick Neinhuis.