Who Ya Gonna Call? A Look into Darien Red Cross' Saferides
NEIRAD enilno edition
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When a student finds themselves in a position where they are not fit to drive themselves home who are they gonna call? … No, not “Ghost Busters” but Safe Rides.
Safe Rides is composed of a group of students from Darien High School who volunteer their time providing safe rides home every Friday night, Saturday night, and some holidays from 10 pm until 2 am.
The rides are provided by DHS seniors. Juniors can also volunteer their time by riding with passengers in the back of the car. According to Safe Rides member Chris Martin there is a good mix between kids that need rides home and kids that are not capable of driving themselves.
Another positive aspect of this service is the privacy policy. Drivers are not allowed to disclose who they have picked up that night.
While waiting for a phone call, members hang out at The Depot with friends and eat food. Being part of Safe Rides is also an excellent chance for kids to volunteer with a group that helps their peeers. Junior Britt Gordon said “It gives me a good opportunity to give back to the community.”
According to Martin, “On average there are about 15 calls per night, and because there are about seven kids working every day we each go on about two calls per night.” Most kids say that they would rather be picked up by Safe Rides and driven home by these volunteers than by their parents.
Safe Rides is not only a good opportunity for kids to give back to the community, but it also provides Safe Rides for people who can’t find a source of transportation. Some kids do not have rides to their friends’ house or home. This program gives those teens the opportunity to be able to go out and get a ride home if they didn’t have a ride home in the first place. For more information on Safe Rides you can contact them at 655-6551.
