They may not be turning wheels right now, but officials with the regional Road To Hope organization hope area residents will turn their thoughts to them when COVID restrictions are lifted.
Road To Hope is a not-for-profit organization that offers rides to clients needing transport to cancer treatments. Based in the Athabasca and Lac La Biche regions, the organization has been providing volunteer drivers to area cancer patients since 2008. Drivers use their own vehicles, or drive clients in the organization's designated vehicle, offering transport and support. Since the free service began, volunteer drivers have put on more than 172,000 kilometres. But in recent weeks, the service has been suspended due to COVID-19 protocols because of the often compromised health conditions of the clients.
The disruption in service comes at the same time Road To Hope officials made other tough choices, including terminating the contract of the organization's executive director and cancelling all fundraising events for the year. The decisions were made
Despite the challenges, the volunteer board of the organization want area residents to keep the unique and life-altering service in mind.
"Our dedicated Volunteer Board continue to explore all avenues of funding, fundraising, and grant opportunities," notes a community update put together Road To Hope board members. "While we are temporarily unable to transport clients, rest assure that our Board is hard at work and using this shut down due to COVID 19 to revamp our organization to enable us to do business more efficiently and sustainably; so that when it is safe to do so, we can better serve our clients and fulfil our mandate, which is ‘Providing transportation services to cancer patients to and from their appointments, who reside within the counties of Athabasca and Lac La Biche"
A message from the board:
From 2020 has been a turbulent year for everyone and we here with the Road To Hope Community Support Foundation are no exception. 2020 has created the perfect storm, the development of COVID -19 and the collapse of Alberta’s economy has left Road To Hope in an unfamiliar and insecure state, forcing the cancellations of all of our fundraising events.
For those who may not know: Road To Hope is a non-profit organization that relies heavily on fundraising events and charitable donations. 2020 has impacted us immensely in the funding department. With such drastic losses we have been forced to make hard decisions, not unlike hundreds of other Albertan organizations, and abolish the one and only paid position we had.
Our phone is still being answered and will continue to be by one of our unpaid Volunteer Directors. When we are back in full operation they will be assisting clients with their Cancer related transportation needs.
Thank you
We would like to extend a huge thank you to our dedicated drivers. Your passion and focus on helping others is extraordinary, and we thank you for standing with us in these challenging days.
We would also like to thank our sponsors, and endless list of generous souls who over the past years have graciously donated their hard-earned money to our organization.
Last but not least we thank our past, present and future clients for believing and trusting in us, we are humbled to be with you on your journey.
COVID 19 and economics are unpredictable but we believe we can maneuver, survive, and thrive in these challenging times.
Cancer will not wait; we will be stronger and we will be ready.
Sincerely Road To Hope Community Support Foundation
