As part of its Chore Services program, Friends Of Newtown Seniors (FONS) announces the launch of Newtown Rides.

Volunteer drivers are sought, to offer Newtown senior citizens rides to in-town businesses and doctor appointments. The new program is being coordinated by Mary Pat Frobey and Beverly Bennett-Schaedler.

Rides will be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays only, with drivers asked to commit to 10 am-noon or noon-2 pm. Rides would be provided to grocery stores, C.H. Booth Library, hairdressers, banks, post office, and even Newtown Senior Center, depending on the needs and wishes of those who need the ride, according to Bennett-Schaedler.

“We had a similar service in town for many years, prior to COVID,” Bennett-Schaedler noted.

Founded in the early 1970s, Friends in Service Here (FISH) was a group of service-minded residents who provided rides for fellow Newtown residents who needed to get to the hospital for a non-emergency visit, a doctor’s appointment, or another medical location for an appointment when those residents could not drive themselves or had no other means of transportation. The group disbanded in 2021, after years of seeing its volunteer pool of drivers slowly shrink.

FONS is hoping to resurrect a similar program, “but we are starting small, and staying in town,” Bennett-Schaedler reiterated.

As of March 7, ten potential drivers had volunteered to coordinate their schedules with Frobey and Bennett-Schaedler for the new offering.

The women are hoping to hear from more residents who would also like to help. For additional information or to volunteer, contact Bennett-Schaedler through FONS Chore Services at 203-430-0633 or fonschoreservices@gmail.com.

A Meet & Greet event is planned for Thursday, March 28, at noon, at My Place Restaurant, 8 Queen Street, to which volunteer drivers are invited. Frobey and Bennett-Schaedler will introduce themselves and there will be time for drivers to meet each other. Reservations are requested for seating and food planning, and can be made through the same phone and email above.

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Managing Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.