Senior Access needs volunteers to keep service buses rolling

AUSTIN, Texas - One Central Texas organization is going the extra mile to give seniors back the key to their independence.

Senior Access serves about 1300 elderly Central Texans across Round Rock, Pflugerville, Hutto, Manor, and East Austin.

"We’re all aging," said Serita Lacasse, the executive director of Senior Access. "We’re all going to get old, and I want people to treat me with respect when I’m older, to help me out, to let me live as independently as possible in my home as I get older."

The buses take seniors grocery shopping to beauty salons, and a few favorite hang-out spots.

"We’ve done walks, we’ve played golf," said Colleen White, a senior. "My favorites are the ones when we go on a field trip to have a meal."

White says it gives her something to look forward to.

"You have a purpose," said White. "You know what you’re doing on Mondays, you know what you're doing on Wednesdays besides going to the doctors. These are treats for all of us."

It’s also built community.

"It's family," said White.

"It's more than just a ride," said Lacasse. "They’re getting a connection."

But since the pandemic, the group has hit a roadblock.

"The volunteers are not back as they used to," said Lacasse. 

Volunteers are what keeps the wheels moving for seniors.

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According to the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center, 77 percent of people 50 and up want to enjoy their senior years living at home.

But after 65, the National Institute of Health said one in five stop driving.

"It’s imperative," said White. "It’s imperative for the grown-ups and the climate we are in because there’s lots of us that haven’t any family, you know, they’re just interacting with medical people coming to help them."

This bus is how seniors get some of that independence and connection with others back.

It's an extra mile with benefits on both sides of the road.

"If you get to know somebody different and go and try to make a difference in their life, it’s really going to impact yours," said Lacasse. 

If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer, there is an online application.