KENNEBUNK – On any given weekday, residents of Kennebunk may pass one of their neighbors on the road, bringing another one neighbor to the grocery store, to get their hair cut, to go to their doctor or to take their dog to the vet.

Volunteer driver Stephanie Lauer provides a ride to Stephen Kelley through the Kennector program. Courtesy image

A new volunteer transportation service called the Kennector, was launched in July of 2022 as part of a two-year pilot grant program through the Federal Transit Administration and ITNAmerica, to do just that. The pilot grant was awarded to 10 communities across the country including three sites in Maine and others in Kentucky, California, Florida and Hawaii.

The program consists of neighbors driving neighbors where they need to go.

“People experience barriers to transportation for a variety of reasons,” said Karen Winton, deputy director of community development for Kennebunk, in an email. “Particularly, as we age, there may be reasons why driving is no longer feasible, but also due to vision impairments and other disabilities.”

Winton is program manager for the Kennector. “Transportation plays a vital role in living an independent life, and the Kennector is the link for supporting that independence, while also connecting people with others who live in their town,” Winton said.

The Kennector provides rides to adults 18 years and older, with a focus on older adults and adults with disabilities and vision impairment, for any purpose. Rides are offered weekdays, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., within a 15-mile radius of the Kennebunks. The program serves residents of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel, and charges a nominal fee for rides.

“Since July of 2022 when the program launched, our volunteers have provided close to 400 rides to people in the three towns for all kinds of purposes including to get to work, the doctor, shopping, haircuts, the dentist, tax preparation and volunteering,” said Tabetha Barden, ride coordinator for the Kennector.

Volunteers sign up each week based on their availability to drive, and a ride coordinator matches availability with ride requests from registered riders of the program. Each week approximately 20-30 rides are given, and more are requested.

“This program is built on the classic neighbor-helping-neighbor model that exists in communities like Kennebunk,” Winton said.  “We saw this especially during the pandemic. People were reaching out to see who needed help, and how they could provide that. It was amazing to see the outpouring of offers and this program channels that desire to help in an extremely meaningful way.

“The program has gotten off to a fantastic start and as we guessed it would, the demand has only grown. To meet the demand, we desperately need to recruit more volunteers. Our volunteers tell us that they feel they are truly making a difference in the lives of their neighbors. Rides offer a chance at getting to know someone and provide them a connection to their community that they may struggle with without access to transportation.”

According to Points of Light, an international nonprofit, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Georgia, dedicated to engaging more people and resources in solving serious social problems through voluntary service, Global Volunteer Month, which takes place every April, is an opportunity to recognize the impact of volunteer service and the power of volunteers to tackle society’s greatest challenges, to build stronger communities and be a force that transforms the world.

Former President George H.W. Bush, founder of Points of Light said, “We can find meaning and reward by serving some higher purpose than ourselves, a shining purpose, the illumination of a thousand points of light … we all have something to give.”

With that in mind, the Kennector is actively recruiting volunteers to help support and grow the program. Volunteers provide times they can drive based on their availability each week and the scheduling is extremely flexible.

“If there are days or times people will be away for vacation, or just unavailable, we just won’t include them in the schedule that week,” said Barden. “Volunteering with the Kennector is easy, we have software that schedules rides and drivers, and we try to make it as easy as possible for volunteers.”

For more information or to complete a volunteer application, call 207-604-1366, or visit www.kennebunkmaine.us/Kennector.