ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Compeer Rochester’s Vets Driving Vets program is expanding to ensure that those who have served our country can make it to their scheduled medical and therapy appointments, grocery store visits and social outings. 

“I am a US army vet, I was in from 1989 to 1992, I was in Panama for Operation Just Cause and I was in Desert Storm,” says Kevin Judd, who has been working for the Vets Driving Vets program for about six months.

It’s an experience he often talks about with the people he picks up, people who’ve also served our country but don’t have the means or the ability to drive.

“Transportation is, we take it for granted sometimes, it’s very difficult for people to get to these appointments sometimes,” Judd says.

Getting to where he needs to go was always a bit of a struggle for Scott Boyce.

“I don’t drive, I can’t walk without being in pain not even a city block,” Boyce says.

But then he found the Vets Driving Vets program.

Compeer Rochester runs the program and was recently awarded $470,000 in COVID recovery money to expand it. There are now two paid drivers, a car and a wheelchair accessible van to transport veterans, free of charge, to medical appointments, grocery store trips or social outings.

Today, Scott is headed to the vet center.

“For me to take an Uber, to Calkins Road is $40,” Boyce says, “it takes so much stress off of vets knowing they don’t have to worry about how am I going to get to my doctor’s appointment or how am I going to pay for it.”

There’s also the shared connection that makes the rides a little easier.

“They’re compassionate, understanding, they’ve been in my shoes at one point of time or another so we actually have a lot in common,” Boyce says. 

A connection they use, to help one another. For more information about the program or to schedule a ride, click here.

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