The Lexington Observer speaks with Janet Perry, board member and volunteer for FISH of Lexington.
LO: What does FISH do?
JP: FISH (Fostering Independence, Sympathetic Help) has been in operation in Lexington since 1972. As a fully volunteer-operated organization, we provide rides to senior and over-18 disabled Lexingtonians to medical and dental appointments. (We do not provide rides to destinations apart from medical and dental.) From January to October 31, 2024 FISH has provided 492 round-trip rides.
LO: Does it cost anything to use the service?
JP: No, rides are free, though that does not extend to parking and tolls costs, which our clients are responsible for paying. However, many of our clients often make donations to help us cover operating costs, and we greatly appreciate that. Our wonderful volunteers also donate funds in addition to their time, to support the organization – whether or not they also use the ride service themselves.
LO: How does FISH work? How do clients use the service?
JP: Clients call two operating days before their appointment (we operate Monday through Friday except during summertime, when we operate Monday through Thursday.) We use a local number that routes to an answering service number, which records all the important client information, such as name, address, phone number, destination, time to be picked up, appointment time, time to be retrieved, and any special needs. These details help our drivers be prepared. Clients call before one o’clock in the afternoon, and by 1:30 p.m. the answering service emails us with the list of clients and appointments that need to be scheduled two days out. The phoner volunteering for that day matches up clients with drivers. We currently have about 300 clients who use the service with varying frequency.
LO: How often can a client use the service?
JP: We limit it to once per week, which some of our clients do need, depending on the treatment being received.
LO: How many volunteers do you have?
JP: We have three primary volunteer roles: phoners, drivers, and board members. Board service is probably self-explanatory. Our phoners and drivers do the important day-to-day work of making sure clients get to and from their medical and dental appointments. We have a ten-person board that meets monthly and does a great job of making sure FISH is fulfilling its mission.
We currently have about 25 phoners who match clients needing appointments with available drivers for a given day. Our driver coordinator works with our 55 volunteer drivers to schedule driver availability for every operating day of the month, which is what the phoner uses to match clients with drivers.
Before the pandemic, we had about 70 drivers, but the number dropped precipitously post-pandemic, by about 30 people. In 2022, we received a Dana Home grant to help us figure out how we could bring volunteerism and donations back up. We’ve been able to use that assistance to slowly rebuild our numbers, but we still need more drivers and donations.
LO: What do you do if there are not enough drivers to meet clients’ needs for the day?
JP: We do have a backup drivers list to which we can send requests. The town also offers assistance through taxi service vouchers, although we do not connect our clients with that service. If our answering service has reached the maximum number of client requests for the day (currently, we cap this at four), they will share the information about the town service with the caller, who can then reach out to the Town of Lexington separately.
LO: Does FISH pay for the answering service?
JP: Yes, that is one of our largest operating expenses. We depend on people donating throughout the year, but we also send out a big mailing in December as part of our fundraising efforts.
LO: Why do clients use FISH rather than a taxi service?
JP: Apart from being free, FISH provides more than just a shuttle and drop-off service. Our drivers often assist our clients in and out of the car, walk with them into the building – this is especially important for clients with mobility challenges – and will wait for the client to finish the appointment, so the client does not have the added stress of organizing a ride back home.
LO: What is your role at FISH and why did you get involved?
JP: I actually used the service in the past! After I retired, I had the time to volunteer, so I joined FISH as a phoner in 2021 and now also serve as a board member.
LO: How can Lexingtonians get involved with FISH?
JP: We really need volunteer drivers and phoners! If you work from home or have free time in some capacity during the week, we could really use your help. And as long as we know what your limitations are up front – for example, we have a parent with school-aged children who has a hard stop at 2 p.m. – we are happy to work with your schedule so that you can volunteer and help fellow residents get to their appointments. We also accommodate your destination preferences. For example, we have drivers who only drive to appointments located in the area, while other drivers are willing to go farther, such as into Boston. We respect those preferences when we match our clients with drivers.
Driving, especially, offers an opportunity for connection with other Lexingtonians. It’s a relatively low-commitment role that helps the community through a practical service but also by building meaningful relationships.
To learn more, visit https://fishlexington.org/