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Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee’s Volunteer Assisted Transportation
Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee’s (CAC) Volunteer Assisted Transportation began providing services in 2009 and utilizes agency vehicles to provide their trips. In March of 2019, the program celebrated 10 years of service and provided
its 50,000th trip. The mission of CAC’s Volunteer Assisted Transportation program is “a non-profit, volunteer-driven transportation option dedicated to providing accessible and affordable transportation services to Knox County seniors and people with disabilities who require aid and assistance to travel safely”. This program has been vital in helping new senior volunteer transportation programs begin their work. Not only do they provide transportation throughout Knoxville and Knox County, some of their staff members
also serve on the Knoxville Mayor’s Council on Disability Issues and the Transportation Planning Organization technical committee.
Knoxville-Knox County VAT - Volunteer & Rider Spotlight
Recently a CAC AmeriCorps member, Matthew, was able to ride along with two people who used to work at the Y-12 National Security Complex: Larry, a KnoxVAT volunteer, and Margaret, who has been riding with VAT since it started in 2009.
Larry moved from Chicago to Knoxville in 1991 for work (and
to escape the cold). He was a master plumber who specialized
in weapons factories and nuclear plants, including Y-12. He’s been with KnoxVAT since retiring in 2016, and drives full-time every Tuesday and Thursday. On top of driving, he also serves on the VAT board and helps at recruiting events. This past March, Larry provided the program’s 50,000th trip!
VAT rider, Margaret, grew up in Alabama and moved to Knoxville during World War II to work for TVA before becoming a secretary at Y-12. Margaret was responsible for over 22,000 classified documents and even created her own technical shorthand! She told Matthew that VAT is “the most wonderful thing I’ve come across,” and that without VAT volunteers, “I’d be stuck.” She also referred to VAT as “like being a member of a club.”
One of Matthew’s favorite parts of the trip was seeing the joy Larry and Margaret got from chatting with each other. They even talked about planning a trip together during Secret City Festival so Margaret can see all the changes at the new Y-12 site. Of course, there was plenty of shop talk that went over Matthew’s head, but it was fun to experience first-hand the bond that forms between volunteers and riders.
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