A lifeline for 50 years

Christine always prided herself on being self-sufficient despite breaking her back when she was 33 and being left with limited mobility.

But about four years ago, the 76-year-old became wheelchair bound and her life changed.

Since discovering the Beaches Council on Aging’s Dial-a-Ride program, she rides several times a week, including to aqua therapy and to socialize with another rider for lunch.

She is one of about 300 people in the Jacksonville Beaches area who receive services from Dial-a-Ride, the flagship service of the Beaches Council on Aging.

50 years of service

Dial-a-Ride serves seniors over 62 and adults over 18 with disabilities who otherwise would be homebound.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Dial-a Ride provides essential services for individuals to lead independent, healthy and socially engaging lives. Riders are transported anywhere in the Beaches area from Mayport through Ponte Vedra Beach and to areas just across the Intracoastal Waterway.

Dial-a-Ride operates Monday through Friday with limited service on Saturday, bringing people to numerous locations such as doctor appointments, kidney dialysis, pharmacies, restaurants and grocery stores. The program is free, though donations are accepted.

“We say in our program, this is a lifeline,” said Lori Delgado Anderson, executive director of Beaches Council on Aging. “We are getting people to the medical appointments they need to stay healthy.”

Engaging in social, spiritual, educational and cultural activities is also key to one’s overall health and well-being.

“A lot of riders live social security check to social security check,” said Delgado Anderson.

Riders are routinely checked on by volunteers with the organization’s Beaches Senior Network, which Baptist Health assisted in creating. The network also facilitates access to critical resources for a variety of other services in the community, such as financial aid, food assistance, home repairs and Medicare guidance.

Expanding service through a fifth van

To meet a growing need, the Beaches Council on Aging has added a fifth vehicle after receiving a donation from Baptist Health. The gift made possible the purchase of a Dodge Ram wheelchair-accessible van. The van aligns with the Community Health Needs Assessment, conducted by Baptist Health (including with Baptist Medical Center Beaches) along with other local nonprofit health systems. Transportation was shown as a barrier to health and wellness.

“We routinely listen closely to the voices of our most vulnerable neighbors across five Northeast Florida counties to better understand the barriers they face in accessing health and well-being,” said Katie Ensign, vice president of Community Impact for Baptist Health.

Learn more about Baptist Health’s commitment to improving health and well-being in Northeast Florida by working together with local nonprofit agencies to address a variety of needs. Read the Community Health Needs Assessment.