BY JOHN CHICK Special to the VOICE
Shortly following Peter Cuke’s retirement after 47 years as a pastor, he realized he still needed to perform a service for the greater good.
“It was also the recognition I could get bored quite easily,” Cuke, 74, said of the impetus for his volunteer work as a driver for Family and Children’s Services Niagara (FACS).
Fonthill native Cuke is one of about 80 active volunteer drivers for FACS, responsible for transporting children in the system between home, school, counseling, access visits and other appointments.
“[Kids that age] don’t have access to forms of transportation,” explained Tammi Barkman, Transportation and Volunteer Services lead for FACS.
“Many of their parents don’t have access to transportation because the Niagara Region is so vast geographically. The public transit infrastructure is lacking in a lot of our rural locations.”
As such, more drivers are needed. Barkman said the 80 or so current drivers combine for about 114 drives per day throughout Niagara, but added, “We could use about 30 more [drivers].”
That’s why Barkman and her colleagues at FACS have been on a media blitz of late, appearing with volunteers such as Cuke on local radio stations to appeal for more help. While FACS also provides transportation to adults with special needs, more assistance is needed with children, especially between the hours of 2 PM and 7 PM.
Cuke said the work is rewarding, given that many of the kids in the FACS system are going through turbulent periods in their young lives.
“Some of them just need somebody to tell them, it’s going to be okay,” he said.
Barkman said that, to the children, the drivers can become a reliable presence during often troubled times.
“Sometimes they don’t know how to express themselves positively,” she said. “But the volunteers have a real knack … the kids come running out and give them a high-five, because to them, the volunteer is a consistent, positive person who is there every week.”
Added Cuke with a chuckle, “You’ve got to be loving but firm. This is my car and I’m the boss.”
Even with a shortage of drivers, Barkman said that FACS volunteers covered 2.2 million kilometers last year on 41,000 drives all over Niagara. She added that Pelham is an ideal spot to seek out new volunteers, given its central geographical location on the peninsula and high number of retirees.
The application process starts either online or through picking up a form at one of the FACS offices. There’s then an information session, one-on-one interviews, and background screening checks. Prospective volunteers must be 22 or older, have their own reliable vehicle, a full “G” driver’s licence, and appropriate insurance. The application process is quite thorough, and can take some five to seven weeks to ensure an applicant is suitable. While it is volunteer work, drivers are remunerated for mileage at 43 cents per kilometer.
“And be friendly and compassionate, with a sense of humor,” Barkman says.
“It helps,” Cuke added. “The number one job is to get [the kids around] safe. Number two is for you to have as much fun as possible.”
For more information, visit facsniagara.on.ca, or drop by the FACS offices at 654 South Pelham Rd. in Welland; 82 Hannover Dr. in St. Catharines; or 7900 Canadian Dr. in Niagara Falls.
