Joseph Kronk, right, greets Roy Moore, left, and Scotty McDonald early Tuesday morning in front of Safeway in Kenai, where Kronk, a volunteer driver for the Veterans Administration, picked them up for a ride to health care in Anchorage.
Kronk does his paperwork while waiting for the VA van to warm up a little after 6 a.m. Tuesday. He said he has been a volunteer driver for about two years but would like to see others volunteer while he winters in Arizona.
Story last updated at 9/30/2009 - 1:37 pm
Giving back: Volunteer drivers serve veterans
With only a small Veterans Administration outpatient clinic in Kenai, many veterans on the Kenai Peninsula who have lost their good health must travel to Anchorage for specialized care.
Some, however, have lost the ability to make the 150-mile drive themselves, and others existing on small, fixed incomes have a tough time affording travel to and from the combined Veterans Administration-military hospital at Elmendorf Air Base or to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage.
For them, two volunteers -- veterans themselves -- stand ready to provide free transportation on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week from the Vet Center in the Red Diamond Center on Kalifornsky Beach Road.
Driving a brand new, six-passenger van, John McCarthy and Joseph Kronk take vets to appointments at Elmendorf and Providence hospitals, the VA outpatient clinic on Debarr Road in Anchorage, the Costco eye-care center or Northway Mall for compensation and pensions examinations. Van rides also can be arranged to take veterans to the Homeless Veterans (Domiciliary) Service Center on C Street.
To be eligible for the free ride the veteran must have a VA-approved appointment, must present his or her veterans identification card and must be able to get on and off the van without needing any assistance.
While veterans are allowed to bring food with them for the long ride to Anchorage, smoking is not permitted in the van and anyone who shows up for a ride intoxicated will not be allowed in the van, according to Judy Thompson, chief of voluntary service for the Alaska VA Healthcare System.
Departure times from Kenai are dependent on the veterans' scheduled appointments. In addition to the Vet Center, the van also can pick up veterans at the Soldotna or Kenai Safeway food stores.
Because Kronk is what he calls "a no-snow bird," he will not be driving from Oct. 15 until the first week of April. He'll be in Arizona.
McCarthy also will be leaving for the entire month of November, but plans to resume driving the van upon his return from Mexico.
Kronk and McCarthy both served in the U.S. Air Force and Kronk also served in the U.S. Coast Guard, retiring in 1972 after about 20 years. Both said they enjoy driving and volunteered in appreciation for what the military has done for them.
Thompson said the VA is currently recruiting for more volunteer van drivers, especially needed during Kronk and McCarthy's absence.
Drivers are not required to have a commercial driver's license, but they must have clean driving records, must pass a background and fingerprinting check and must pass a transportation-specific physical exam, Thompson said.
To volunteer, people should call the VA Healthcare System at 1-888-353-7574.
To schedule a ride or for more information about the van program, veterans can contact Dave Caswell, Kenai Vet Center manager, at 260-7640.
To volunteer, people should call the VA Healthcare System at 1-888-353-7574. To schedule a ride or for more information about the van program, veterans can contact Dave Caswell, Kenai Vet Center manager, at 260-7640.
Phil Hermanek can be reached at phillip.hermanek@peninsulaclarion.com.
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