New Safe Rides program turns old volunteers into new captains

Volunteers will be given new responsibilities in order to improve program function

Michelle Tufts / Reporter

Safe Rides benefits partygoers each weekend. Now volunteers may have something to smile about. Safe Rides wants to implement a new program that would not only thank volunteers, but also benefit them as well. If all goes according to plan, starting this spring dedicated Safe Rides volunteers can become captains.

What would the new captains mean to the three coordinators of Safe Rides? “It would empower other people and help us to expand the program,” said coordinator Lindsay Wright. Among other responsibilities, a coordinator must be present every night that Safe Rides runs. The on-duty coordinator is responsible for training new volunteers, explaining the rules, putting first aid kits next to the phones and setting out the maps. All of these things are simple and could be done by an experienced volunteer. These tasks would be the responsibility of the new captains.

However, could Safe Rides volunteers handle the new responsibility?

“Setting up is pretty systematic and something that anyone could grasp. I would feel comfortable doing it,” said regular volunteer Justin Newman.

Captains would also have to give up one to two nights a month for four hours to work with Safe Rides. However, these numbers are small when you consider that the current coordinators must divide 15 nights per month among only three people.

“There is a strain on coordinators because usage numbers are up,” said co-coordinator Daniel Hampton. Last semester alone Safe Rides transported 2,272 people to their destinations unharmed.

“Safe Rides isn’t all about answering phones; we have a lot more to do,” said Wright.

The coordinators are responsible for the budget, running numbers of people transported, validation for volunteers, writing proposals and making sure all of the phone equipment is intact. Among the most important job of the coordinators is recruiting new volunteers.

Hopefully the new captains would “bring fresh new enthusiasm through word-of-mouth advertising and they could get their friends involved,” says Hampton. This would allow for more stress to be taken off of the usually overworked coordinators. Also, the idea of more leadership and responsibility is one way that the coordinators hope to keep volunteers coming back for more.

While Karen Floyd, advisor to Safe Rides, has nothing but compliments for the coordinators, she agrees that more help would not hurt.

As Floyd explained, “More people in leadership positions would strengthen the program because there would be more people invested in the outcome of the program.”

In the past the goal has been 12 captains, having each captain be responsible for one night each month. This number has yet to be reached.

If you are interested in becoming a captain you can fill out an application and then come for an interview with the Safe Rides staff. However, the captains program has not yet begun and the final details will not be out until the beginning of spring semester.

To volunteer for Safe Rides or for more information, visit their Web site at www.elon.edu/saferides. As always, any Thursday, Friday or Saturday night you can call Safe Rides to get you where you need to go at extension. 7433.

However, volunteers beware.

“All you get is free pizza,” laughs Wright.