SOLANA BEACH, Calif. (KGTV) – A new pilot program in Solana Beach is helping senior citizens who have started to give up driving a new chance to get around town.
Rae Klien, who lives in Solana Beach and is about to turn 97 in August, sometimes needs help getting from place to place.
“Because I have macular degeneration, I'm very sensitive to glare that I'm really not secure driving,” Klien said. “I would maybe drive as far as Trader Joe's and Encinitas, and that's it.”
Klien doesn’t have to worry about getting to things like her physical therapy appointment.
It's thanks to a new program in Solana Beach that launched in June, according to the City of Solana Beach.
“They provide rides to the pharmacy, to shopping, to medical appointments, and pretty much anywhere somebody needs to go,” Maureen Glaser, Director of Transportation Operations-On the Go, Jewish Family Services of San Diego, said.
Jewish Family Services and its On The Go program partnered with the City of Solana Beach on the transportation pilot program.
“Our older adults in Solana Beach, as they start to give up driving for whatever reason. It may be medical, it may be just it's time to get off the road; that sort of decision is often has a lot of emotion with it like, am I going to be a burden to my friends and family asking them for rides,” Glaser said.
Glaser says their On The Go program gives free rides for seniors here in Solana Beach and in 50 other zip codes through volunteers.
Ali Pearlman has been volunteering her time to give Klien a ride from time to time.
“The very first pickup that I met Rae, she got in my car and I accidentally opened up the front, because a lot of the times they sit in the back, and she sat down and we just started talking as if we have known each other our entire lives,” Pearlman said.
The two have formed this special relationship during these rides.
“I can't tell you how I feel about All Perlman. It, it's like manna from heaven finding a volunteer like that that just sort of latches on to you and just makes herself available,” Klien said.
Outside of the coastal community, Jewish Family Services expanded On The Go services to Downtown San Diego, San Marcos and Spring Valley.
So, there’s a need for volunteers.
“On The Go does, outside of our Solana Beach program, have a waitlist, and we will be able to move more older adults off that waitlist as we have more volunteers join up with us,” Glaser said.
