FAQ

KeoweeCares for You manages a volunteer-based, personal transportation system called Need-A-Ride to serve Keowee Key residents who are unable to drive with access to shops, medical appointments, and other activities.

KeoweeCares for You maintains a Medical Loan Closet that offers common medical equipment and aids such as crutches, rollators, wheelchairs and bath assists at no cost to residents. Delivery and return of the items are part of the service.

KeoweeCares for You provides a list of the Medical Provider Systems in the upstate area with links to their web sites. Each site provides useful information such as phone numbers, treatment specialties, doctors and facility locations.

KeoweeCares for You disseminates the File of Life card sets and urges residents to post them on their refrigerator doors and keep their data current to promote a faster and more efficient response to medical emergencies.

All Keowee Key residents are eligible, and there are no entrance or enrollment fees. Because of volunteer involvement, operating costs are minimal and can normally be met by local fund-raising efforts and private subscriptions.

Scores of residents have volunteered to donate one day per month to be on stand-by to drive their neighbors. They are managed by a volunteer group of dispatchers that serve for one week at a time. A client needing transportation calls a central number (864 944 8758) at least one day in advance, and the dispatcher passes along the need to the drivers on stand-by, who remains with the “client” for as long as it takes to get them to the places they need to go.

Generally once per month. Some months you will not have a client and on rare occasions, you might be asked to drive more than one day.

Need-A-Ride can always use more volunteers. The commitment is for only one day a month. Just call Alison Dale (864-944-8758, option 3) if you’d like to be a driver or dispatcher for that program.

Dan Treffert (864-944-8758, option 2) is managing this program and can arrange for you to pick up necessary medical equipment. Delivery is also available if needed. Loans are usually for a maximum of 3 months. (And yes, there really is a “closet”, which is located in the KKPOA Operations building. Since this facility is secured on weekends, it is preferable that deliveries are scheduled for weekdays.)

Drawing on friends and neighbors works well in the short term, but the recipient soon begins to feel that he or she is "imposing". They may therefore reduce requests for help. One may feel comfortable asking for a ride to a doctor's appointment, but not to something "frivolous" - like a concert or a meeting of their favorite club. Over time the need-to-do's may still be taken care of, but the nice-to-do's are abandoned. Yet it is the latter that contributes so much to what we call "quality of life". The "designated driver" system eliminates that, allowing those in need to do the things they enjoy, as well as the things they need, with the assurance that they’re not "imposing."

YES! KeoweeCares for You is a 501(c)(3) and all donations are tax deductible. You will receive a written acknowledgement of your contribution.

Cash donations should be sent to KeoweeCares, Inc., 19 Marina Village Way, Salem, SC 29676. Contact Dan Treffert (864-944-8758, option 2) for donations of medical equipment.

KeoweeCares for You has its own by-laws and Board of Directors. It is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.