The RSVP program of Volunteer Prince William is pleased to announce that our Veterans Enhanced Transportation Service (V.E.T.S.) Program Volunteer; Mr. Bruce Wood, has been recognized by the Cabot Creamery Cooperative as one of their Community Celebrity Awardees.
Bruce Wood joined the Volunteer Prince William-Retired Senior Volunteer Program in april of 2013. He had recently retired retired and was looking for a volunteer opportunity, at the same time RSVP, in partnership w/ the Prince William Area Agency on Aging (PWAAA), joined forces to start the Volunteer supported, Veterans Enhanced Transportation Service (V.E.T.S.)
This partnership between VPW and PWAAA links volunteer drivers and veterans, or widowed spouses of veterans, with no other means of transportation, with a safe and reliable transport to medical appointments and/or their pharmacy. V.E.T.S. also gives older Virginians, age 55 or older, the opportunity to volunteer in their community, support a great cause and provide a much needed transportation service to our veterans and/or their spouse. Bruce became our founding member/volunteer for the V.E.T.S. Transportation Program and was instrumental in getting the program off the ground.
During the first few months of the program, Bruce was our only dedicated volunteer and without his support we would have never gotten the program off the ground. He drives a well-kept Chevy Caprice, one of those models with a big trunk, four doors and roomy seats and maintains it specifically for his volunteer driving.
It is a perfect car to transport vets/spouses or pick up medications and needed groceries. The car has plenty of room for a walker, collapsed wheelchair, crutches or a friend to ride along to accompany the vet to their doctors’ appointments. During the first two years of the V.E.T.S. program, Bruce Wood donated more than 200 hours, driving 2000 miles, and documenting almost 125 trips to the doctor.
Since 2010, the farmer-owners of Cabot Creamery Cooperative have presented the Cabot Community Celebrity Award program to honor the achievements and contributions of volunteers from every part of our great nation. The 2015 Cabot Community Celebrity Award Cruise marks the fifth time since 2010 that the farmers who own Cabot Creamery Cooperative have honored volunteers with a cruise for their selfless efforts to make their communities better places to live.
The program continues in 2015 with an Eastern Caribbean Cruise that honors more than 50 new Community Celebrities. Departing the port of Miami on November 14, 2015 aboard Celebrity Cruise Line’s Reflection, the Celebrities, their guests and Cabot staffers will embark on an 8-day/7-night all-expense-paid Caribbean journey of a lifetime.
Ports of call include beautiful San Juan, Puerto Rico; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas and Philipsburg, St. Maarten, and returns to Miami on Nov. 21.
