One of my long term clients set up a volunteer program in her community, to help keep drinking drivers off the road during the holidays. It’s a chapter of Operation Red Nose, which was started in Quebec, in 1984.
If you go out for the evening, then decide you shouldn’t drive home, you can call Operation Red Nose. They’ll pick you up, and take you home in your own vehicle. A team follows in another car, and returns the driver to the home base. The ride home is free, and contributions are gratefully accepted.
The program operates from late November until New Year’s Eve each year. This year Operation Red Nose Caledon provided 321 rides, and received over $7000 in donations. That money will go to four local programs:
- The Optimist Club of Caledon
- Caledon Navy League
- ‘L.I.F.E. for Youth’ Caledon Community Services
- ‘Safety Village and Graffiti Eradication’ Caledon O.P.P.
I helped with their Access database, and am glad that it reduced the paperwork and manual tracking that the volunteers had to do. It’s a great feeling to help out a team that is doing something so positive in their community. And I even got a plaque!
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That is very cool. Congrats to you and Operation Red Nose.
Thanks Dick! It’s a great program, and I appreciate the hard work of all the people who actually went out in the cold to do their volunteer work.
Hi Debra,
It was good to read about this… and congratulations to you as well, for the great work !
We have a similar, but paid service, in Mumbai (India) which was started sometime in December, for people who don’t wish to drive after drinking.
Also, the person has to get their car back on their own, from where they left it.
Still, that’s better than having drunk-drivers on the roads during the New Year’s eve weekend.
Cheers!
Khushnood
A very worthwhile cause.