Free wheeling for Columbians
By Jackie Perrone
jacper@juno.com

It's no secret that giving up driving affects the lives of older citizens more than just about anything else. For most folks, even moving from a residence of many years into a retirement community doesn't change things as much as losing transportation independence.

This fact of senior life has become a cause to be championed, and who better to head up such a campaign than the Capital Senior Center in Columbia?

"We've named our effort Five Points Wheels," says Roger Cranford, coordinator at the Capital Senior Center.

"It's a faith- based program to be operated by the community and staffed with volunteers. The goal is to provide rides at no charge to seniors and adults with disabilities.

"The faith community is stepping in with support, and what we see happening is a lot of small fundraisers, which together can make our plans come true."

Cranford points out that a similar program in the Harbison area has just observed its 20th anniversary. The Five Points Wheels steering committee has met with the Harbison program leaders to find ways to set up such a service on this side of town.

Harbison Wheels furnishes rides to seniors and those with disabilities throughout the Harbison part of town, enabling them to get to doctors' offices, banks, drug stores, even the movies, the necessary errands that make it possible to maintain independent living at home.

No rider is charged a fee. Harbison Wheels is happy to accept donations of $1, $5, or any amount toward the expense of providing the service. A board of community volunteers oversees the program and its expenses, which include owning and operating buses, and maintenance, and liability insurance. All the drivers are volunteers.

"This need for transportation exists in every community," says Cranford. "We have set out a 'box,' roughly from Rosewood to Belt Line to River Drive to Huger and back to Rosewood, as our target area for service. When we can get a van (or vans) and get the program running smoothly, perhaps there will be a chance to expand the service farther out."

Like everything else, Five Points Wheels has to start with funding.

Two grants are already in hand, one from the Lieutenant Governor's Office on Aging, and one from S.C. Dept. of Transportation. The movement is encouraging fundraisers of any size or type to build a kitty toward the $10,000 needed to start the Wheels rolling.

The Senior Life group at St. Joseph's Catholic Church held a benefit dance for the fund on May 11. The $500 raised that evening has brought the total in hand so far to $2600; $7400 to go.

Other faith communities that have expressed support for Five Points Wheels include Church of the Apostles, St. Peter's Catholic, Bethel AME, and First Nazareth Baptist.

Five Points Wheels believes he Columbia business community as well as individual citizens will want to join the cause. To help with the project, contact Roger Cranford at Capital Senior Center. Call 779-1971.