Take the Ride
Meet ITN Bluegrass’s Gale Reece
Fifteen years ago, Gale Reece left a small family business after 20 years, and says she asked herself, “‘What do I want to do when I grow up?’”
She explains, “My grandparents were a tremendous influence on me when I was young. I went to the city Director of Aging Services and she helped me to identify a need and find a program to start in Lexington – ITNBluegrass (senior transportation). It took a couple of years to launch (legislative change, raising funds and hiring a team). In July of 2008, we gave our first ride. Today, after almost 11 years and over 70,000 rides, ITNBluegrass is going strong.”
The Independent Transportation Network® (ITN) is dedicated to providing dignified transportation. Older adults join ITNBluegrass and become dues-paying members of an organization committed to their mobility. When they pick up the telephone to schedule a ride, they are not asking a favor. ITNBluegrass is a nonprofit built to ease the transition from the driver’s seat to the passenger seat.
Lexington’s popular senior conference, the i know expo, held annually every spring, is also Reece’s brainchild.
The conference evolved from her work with ITN Bluegrass. She says, “During those early years with ITNBluegrass, we noticed other needs in our membership. Adult children and members themselves called to ask about other elder services and we had no idea how to direct them. So, in 2012, we launched the i know expo to bring together caregivers, elders, and those with disabilities with services in Kentucky.”
Recalling success stories from the early years, she remembers, “Our very first expo in 2012, we had a pair of sisters caring for their father who was an ITN member. They cried as they thanked us for putting all these resources together in one place.”
She recalls, “an attorney, who is one of the most brilliant people I know, did not have a clue how to navigate the care of his mother in the first signs of dementia, living in her own home, and one of ITN’s first clients.”
And she can’t forget “an event coordinator who was struggling with her father and his growing dementia. He had been lost on the interstate driving to Tennessee during our planning. Now she was able to discuss her issues and concerns in one place, one time with professionals.”
Going Places
Think of it as a little like Uber for Great Aunt Betty.
The Independent Transportation Network®
(ITN) is dedicated to providing dignified transportation. Older adults join ITNBluegrass and become dues-paying members of an organization committed to their mobility. When they pick up the telephone to schedule a ride, they are not asking a favor. ITNBluegrass is a nonprofit built to ease the transition from the driver’s seat to the passenger seat.
But it’s so much more than an uber or lyft, or even a taxi.
ITN Bluegrass provides arm-through-arm, door-to-door service. And like using your own automobile, ITN is available 24/7, offering the flexibility to schedule rides in advance or as needed, as well as the option to ride alone or with others.
Feeling a little isolated in your social distance? That’s how many older people who don’t drive anymore feel all the time. Why not reach out and give an older person a ride?
Volunteer to drive once a week for ITN. All volunteers are provided training and ITN has adopted safety guidelines in line with CDC guidance to protect both drivers and riders.
Call 859.252-8665 today to learn more and to sign up to drive. Driving record and background check required.
Reece says, “What we are seeing as of a month ago, was older adults staying in the workforce much longer than in the past, many for financial reasons. In today’s world, there are not many people retiring with good solid pensions as past generations have had.”
One of the challenges we have had staying in the workforce is the speed at which technology is moving. When I was building our family storage business, we designed our own software with a local developer and did not dare touch anything on the screen other than as directed. Today, I do not think to play around with the software to discover what it can do. So it is a harder learning curve for us.”
But seniors bring unique assets in the workplace as well. She says, “What we bring to the workforce is the ability to apply past experience to solve issues, especially involving relationships with customers and fellow team members. This ‘wisdom’ comes with age and experience.”
She says, “Our challenge when this crisis is waning is restoring and rebuilding the workforce. I do not know how that is going to affect older adults. One thing I do know is that older adults are essential to our non-profit organizations and volunteer communities.”
The 2020 i know expo has been postponed to spring 2021.
This article also appears on pages 12 and 13 of the 2020 Senior Living Lexington Guide.
Call today to advertise in the 2021 Annual Senior Living Guide, 859.361.4169
