As a UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work student, I was required to work as an intern for a social service organization. Due to the pandemic, I wanted to be placed near my home in Kannapolis.

As the school began to search for a placement, they found the perfect match in Rufty-Holmes Senior Center, which was beginning the implementation of the Connecting Across Rowan for Seniors (CARS) program. With the pandemic, they were looking for someone to help manage this program as it grew. This was a perfect placement because I was able to watch a program from the planning stages to the implementation and evaluation stages.

During my time as an intern, I learned about the growing problem of transportation in Rowan County. Transportation for older adults is crucial in helping them stay active and independent. This program is helping meet a crucial need in Rowan County and delivers rides to individuals to get to medical appointments. Riders would often comment on how the CARS program was easy to use and something they could arrange without asking a relative or friend for assistance.

The most impactful part of this internship was the innovative way that Rufty-Holmes designed this program. This program taught me that to meet needs we must sometimes look outside of the box. As I leave Rufty-Holmes Senior Center, I am prepared to be a better social worker and have better knowledge of the needs of older adults! I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with such an amazing staff at Rufty-Holmes Senior Center. If you are over 60 and have medical transportation needs, please consider the CARS program.

— Hanna Stamey

Kannapolis