Volunteer to help those less fortunate

To the editor:

On Feb. 18 there was a story in The Gazette about suicide among elderly Iowans ('Suicides by Iowa men 75 or older raise concerns”). The Gazette Editorial Board followed up with a suggestion that if advanced years are making you feel useless there are ample needs in the community for older volunteers to fill. One of the ways I've been doing that since retiring has been through the American Cancer Society's Road to Recovery program. I drive cancer patients to and from their radiation and chemotherapy treatments. People who may not have anyone else to get them there, people who may not have a car, people who may not feel well enough to drive, people who may not be able to afford the fuel, let alone a taxi.

I get as much out of the Road to Recovery program as the patients I drive. A chance to meet and befriend brave people from every walk of life; structure in my own daily routine; perspective on my own problems compared to what many cancer patients are dealing with; and that all-important sense of feeling useful, even though I'm no longer earning a paycheck or raising a family. For me, at age 67, there's also a feeling of ‘paying it forward.' Who knows, maybe one day I'll need the same kind of help and have to depend on the kindness of strangers to provide it.

For information about the Road To Recovery program, call 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

Maggy Dumas

Cedar Rapids