“Every day is very different,” said Shelley Johnson, who runs the MAYC. “If we have something like a birthday party where we have entertainment, we have maybe 150 people coming in.” Some of the seniors who come to the MAYC take advantage of free round trip rides that are catered to their individual schedules. “We’ll do as many runs as we need to to get all the people here in a timely manner,” said Johnson. But these days there is a shortage of volunteer bus drivers. Mary Ann Young used to have 10 – but now that number has shrunk to just five. Volunteers are a transportation lifeline for residents who have no transportation. Unless more can be found, getting these people to the center will be more challenging. Johnson is actively recruiting people to get behind the wheel. “We are happy to take anyone who is interested, get them trained in and go from there…” Johnson said. “It’s a wheelchair lift vehicle so that bumps us into a different category for MnDOT and requires a person to go in and get a basic health exam. Things like vision, hearing, blood pressure. Just some basic things like that. Then bring the receipt back to us and we fully reimburse them for that visit.” “I just want to give back” Blaine’s Robert Tomassoni spent three plus decades working for US Steel. He’s been been retired for almost 14 years and volunteers every Friday. “I just want to give back,” said Tomassoni. Tomassoni’s pitch is simple – give driving a try and you could get hooked. “I just encourage anybody that might be interested or even thinking about it, come and visit us,” Tomassoni said. “It really is an easy job. The bus looks a little intimidating but it’s very easy to drive.” For Tomassoni, being a volunteer driver is very gratifying. “I really do enjoy it,” Tomassoni said. “It’s nice to get out of the house and meet people.” Those who use the ride service are usually very grateful. “They get a lot of kudos from the passengers,” Johnson said. Limits isolation The chance to ride the shuttle bus to the MYAC limits isolation for many seniors and breaks up their daily monotony. Getting out and mingling is a good thing. “The passengers are so thankful for the opportunity to come in,” Johnson said. “It’s a great way to socialize and be part of the community…The drivers are out there picking people up who usually do not have other modes of transportation to get here. It’s convenient. It’s nice for them.” “This may be the only way some of them get out,” Tomassoni said. “A lot of them don’t have family locally so they do rely on this and it’s relatively inexpensive.” Despite needing more volunteers, Johnson is thankful for the crew she has on board. “We’ve actually been lucky, very fortunate to be able to have people volunteer for these positions for the past 30 some years,” Johnson said. Johnson sings their praise often. “They’ve very dedicated,” Johnson said. “They’re wonderful. We couldn’t do this program without them.” Anyone interested in becoming a bus driver for the Mary Ann Young center can call (763) 786-9375. Ask for Shelley or Ann. One perk for volunteers is they get a free lunch.
Blaine senior center needs more volunteers behind the wheel
BLAINE, Minn. (Nov. 20, 2023) – The Mary Ann Young Center (MAYC) in Blaine is a hub for seniors looking for fun and friends. From pool to other activities the center gives people a sense of purpose.
