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MyRide West TN – Madison County
The MyRide West TN – Madison County program has been operational for two years. Statistically, Madison County is ranked #2 in the State of Tennessee (second only to Davidson County) as the county with the highest number of vehicle accidents for older adults over the age of 60. This fact, along with data from area needs assessments, prompted the SWAAAD to begin researching the benefits of a volunteer based transportation system. After meeting with local community leaders and aging network professionals over a period of eight months, the MyRide West TN program was launched on May 16, 2017. With more than 40 volunteers and over 60 active riders, MyRide West TN – Madison County has been able to provide more than 3,000 trips to older adults in Madison County. This is a huge accomplishment in just 2 years. The MyRide West TN – Madison County program operates as part of the SWTDD and the SWAAAD.
Madison County Rider Spotlight
H. Dean Jacobs, age 93, was one of the first riders to sign up for MyRide West TN. “I used to live in a big house with a large yard,” Ms. Jacobs said, “I usually don’t watch TV during the day, but I’d been working in the yard and came in around noon to rest. When I turned on the TV, there were two ladies talking about MyRide, so I grabbed a pencil and paper, wrote down the number, and called. I took my first ride in July of 2017”.
Not long before learning about MyRide, Ms. Jacobs had been told that
her macular degeneration symptoms had worsened and she’d need to give up driving. This was difficult because she had always participated in church and other activities. Putting away her keys, she realized she’d need help to stay active. “MyRide has been like manna from heaven.
I don’t know what I would do without this service,” Ms. Jacobs said, “MyRide is the greatest blessing I have received at this time in my life. Giving up driving and becoming dependent on others, well, you feel like a burden to them. With MyRide, I don’t have to ask friends to take me to a doctor’s appointment.”
Ms. Jacobs loves the MyRide West TN program and has been a huge advocate for it. Though she has had to adjust to a lot of changes in the past year, “The bright spot I have found in all these changes is MyRide,” she says. “I feel blessed that this service is here.”
Pictured above, Ms. Jacobs is holding a book by Senator John McCain. Senator McCain lived in the same apartment complex in Arlington, VA where Ms. Jacob’s son resides. When visiting her son several years ago, he made contact with Senator McCain and asked him to sign the book for his mom, which he gladly did. Ms. Jacobs can no longer read the words without the assistance of her reading devices, but she says that is OK, she still feels blessed. She leaves the book on
the seat of her couch and every once in a while, picks up the book and flips thru the pages, pretends, and remembers.
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