Operation OUTING gives elderly a chance to travel

Editor:
Thanks to Operation OUTING, nursing home residents in Vandalia have the opportunity to attend the Evergreen Outreach program at the First United Methodist Church on Mondays.
Operation OUTING also offers them, free of charge, scenic trips to various destinations in our area. For most of them, these outings are the only chance they have to see sights outside of their facility. Imagine yourself in that situation, where you have to depend entirely on others to get outside the bounds of your residence and see the outside world!
Operation OUTING was established in 1983, and has been in continuous operation since then, relying strictly on volunteers to drive and manage the operation. In recent times, several events have added considerable expense: A storm destroyed the large carport that sheltered the bus; it had to be replaced. (Thankfully, the bus sustained barely a scratch!) Also, due to the closing of Vandalia Terrace, the bus’ home – the carport – must be moved. These two expenses were added to the continuing operating expenses of gas and vehicle maintenance.
Therefore, Operation OUTING is in need of your tax-deductible donation.
Consider, for a moment, the circumstances of the people we serve. How would you feel if you were in a nursing home (a reality for many of us someday) and you could not go out on your own? In order to continue providing transportation for those who have none, and to ensure that the program will still be operating when you or a loved one may need it in the future, please give what you can, so we can keep on truckin’.
Donations can be mailed to Operation OUTING, P.O. Box 208, Vandalia, Ill. 62471. For further information or to volunteer to drive (yes, we can use a driver or two), call Bill Brown, treasurer, at 283-1021, or me, Wietse Schaafsma, president, at 283-1202. Your help will make a lasting difference.
 

Wietse Schaafsma
President
Operation OUTING