New Edmonton shuttle program helping Stollery families

WATCH ABOVE: A special agency needs your help getting families to and from the hospital. Kent Morrison explains.

EDMONTON – The Ronald McDonald House has launched a new shuttle program in Edmonton to transport families to and from the Stollery Children’s Hospital.

The program has been in a pilot phase since October, but starting this week it is running Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The service is aimed to reduce the emotional and financial strain of travel on families who are from out of town and caring for their sick children.

The Ronald McDonald House provides a temporary, affordable home away from home for families of children undergoing treatment in one of Edmonton’s medical facilities.

“The shuttle program is the next phase of services we can offer to families to help lighten their load on a daily basis,” says Martin Dugas, RMHNA CEO.

The search is now on for volunteer drivers.

Get weekly health news

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.

Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“We need a ton of help.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We need a ton of help.

“We need to have smiling faces, friendly faces at the end of every trip and the beginning of every trip,” explains Dugas.

Dugas is hoping volunteers commit to three to four shifts. He says being a driver in the program is more than transporting a family.

“Our families begin to look forward to their driver that they bonded with. They get that five to 10 minutes of time that they’ve personally made a connection with one of these people.”

READ MORE: Santa makes early stop at Ronald McDonald House, 2014

Driver Brian Larson says he can relate to many of his passengers. He lost his daughter to cancer in 1981, and missed a lot of work to be with her. Larson remembers one hospital visit particularly well.

“We left that night, we only had enough money to get one car out of the parking lot.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We left that night, we only had enough money to get one car out of the parking lot.

“My vehicle sat there for three days,” recalls Larson. “Finally I said to the parking attendant ‘that’s my car over there. I don’t have the money to get it out of here. I don’t know what I’m going to do.'”

He hopes none of the 900 families who stay at RMHNA each year ever have to experience a similar burden.

Those looking to volunteer for the program can do so on the RMHNA website.