PEABODY — Local veterans will have an easier time finding a ride to their doctor’s appointments after the city got the keys to a new Odyssey van from Honda North.
The donation came after a year of Veterans Services Officer Steve Patten, secretary Lisa Leavitt and volunteer Ken Hopkins driving veterans to and from medical appointments in their own cars.
“I really believe that’s one of the No. 1 issues facing our aging veteran population – the ability to get to medical appointments,” Patten said.
Mayor Ted Bettencourt, a group of Peabody veterans and Patten were at Honda North, an International Cars Ltd. company, in Danvers for a ceremony Monday with Richard Collins, ICL president, and CEO and General Manager Joseph Hajjar.
“I’m not sure they’ve (veterans) received the support and recognition that they should get and receive for the services they’ve done for our country,” Collins said, “We think it’s worthwhile and something we’d like to recognize.”
Leavitt said the Peabody crew has been driving veterans a couple times a week to appointments, mostly in Boston, Jamaica Plain and Bedford.
“Most of them want to go to the Senior Center that offers a ride to Jamaica Plain twice a month, but it’s just not enough,” she said.
In talking with veterans during the rides, Patten and Leavitt said they realized family members were taking time off from work to drive veterans to the doctors, and some vets were even paying for private transportation services to avoid asking for rides.
“That’s $20 each way, so you pay $40 just to get there and then another $30 for a co-pay, that’s $70 for a doctor’s appointment,” Patten said, “What happens if they have to go three times in a week on a fixed income? They’re getting killed with medical expenses.”
Leavitt came up with the idea to have a city-owned vehicle after Salem’s Veteran’s Services Agent Kim Emerling filled in for Peabody until Patten was hired last fall.
“The only city that has a car is Salem,” Leavitt said, “When he told me about that, there had been veterans calling our office for rides but we didn’t do it — we didn’t have availability for it at the time — so once I heard he had that car I said, ‘We need that for our veterans.’”
Patten did a little networking through his wife, Lindsey, who works for Porcello Law Offices in Salem. Owner Jean Porcello-Giusto has a business relationship with the Danvers car dealership and relayed their mission.
“Within a week they said they were definitely going to do it,” Patten said of the donation. “Honda North changed the lives of veterans in Peabody. From now on, if you’re a Peabody veteran or a current member of a Peabody veteran’s organization, we will pick you up at your front door, wait for you and drive you home from an appointment.”
Veterans can schedule a ride a week in advance for their appointments with the Veteran’s Services Department. The city will cover costs of fuel, insurance and maintenance of the vehicle, according to Bettencourt.
“This is an initiative to continue work for our veterans. It started as a program years ago that utilizes vans at the Senior Center to transport veterans to two VA hospitals. This was the next step for us,” he said. “The partnership with Honda North will make a difference in the lives of our veterans and show honor and respect to those who deserve it.”
The Veteran’s Services Department is looking for regular volunteers to drive one day per week, with the ability to switch days with other volunteers as needed. Leavitt and Patten will step in as drivers when volunteers aren’t available.
Jim Sweet, a Vietnam War veteran, was among the veterans at the ceremony. He is the commander of veterans of a group called the Second Corp Cadets Veterans Association, and he raved about Honda North.
“The fact that this van comes out is important in two ways, to me. One is it’s going to give people – veterans – a chance to get to the hospital or to the doctor,” he said. “The other thing is it reminds these vets ...that they’re not forgotten. This is for you.”
