Norwich VFW Senior Vice Commander Ralph Gennis, NYS Assemblyman Joseph Angelino, VFW Commander Joe Santiago, Chenango County Veterans' Services Director Joe Coe, DAV Volunteer Driver Harmon Tenwolde, DAV Volunteer Driver and Coordinator Jim Everard, and VFW Board Supervisor and Officer and former DAV Coordinator Ron Palmer stand around the transportation van that was donated to the Norwich DAV chapter by DAV Transportation Office Volunteer Pat Hulslander. (Photo by Sarah Genter)

NORWICH — The Norwich chapter of the DAV, a nonprofit organization that aims to support veterans and their families, received a donated transportation van courtesy of DAV Transportation Office Volunteer Pat Hulslander.

"I started volunteering at the veterans' hospital four or five years ago and I started doing the trip log sheets which, it puts the mileage on the vans that are being used, and I started noticing a lot of these vans had lots of mileage," said Hulslander. "I decided to donate the vans and so that's what got me into it."

The Norwich van was donated in honor and memory of Hulslander's brother Robin Diaz and her father Frank Diaz Sr. She also donated a brand new van to the Cortland DAV chapter, in memory of her husband.

Her donation provided Norwich DAV volunteer drivers with a reliable vehicle to help transport veterans to medical and doctor appointments, usually in Binghamton and Syracuse.

"When I started at the DAV transportation office I had no idea what these poor veterans went through as far as ways into the hospital to get doctors appointments and Medicaid, any kind of help, and I really got into that," said Hulslander. "The man in charge of taking care of the vans, it seemed like he was always sending vans down to the shops in Syracuse to get fixed all the time and I just decided, oh what the heck, invest some money to help these veterans out."

The vans were purchased around November of 2020, but building the vans and adding on the DAV decals and dedications takes time. Hulslander said both vans were officially given to the Norwich and Cortland chapters in the spring of this year.

Not only did the vans help Norwich and Cortland, but after they received the brand new vans, their old ones were extensively serviced and refurbished and sent along to other chapters that needed them.

"They sent their vans in and they were serviced really well, and they’ve both gone to other places also. They don’t just junk the vans, they try to keep them going as long as possible," said Hulslander.

"It makes me feel real good that I did something at least worthwhile," she added. "It’s been very rewarding volunteering like this."

The Norwich van will be used exclusively by the Norwich chapter in Chenango County and the surrounding areas.

"The Syracuse Hospital, the VA Hospital, those are our primary destinations right now. And we cover almost all of Chenango County and part of the little ridges around Chenango County. But we go as far as Cazenovia, just a little below Binghamton," said DAV Volunteer Driver and Coordinator Jim Everard. "We usually set up a pick up time, we take them up there, wait for them to have the appointment, and then bring them back home."

Chenango County Office of Veterans' Services Director Joe Coe said the donation will also help veterans who come through the agency, as he frequently refers them to the DAV.

"A lot of times I’ll get a call from a veteran that has a scheduled appointment in Syracuse, and they don’t know how to get there or they can’t drive for some particular reason. So I will refer them to Jim Everard," he said. "Sometimes I give them the schedule of when it goes to Binghamton and when it goes to Syracuse, they contact him, they coordinate the ride, and they get transported to Syracuse or Binghamton, to and from."

Although the transportation van is a major help to the chapter, the Norwich DAV still needs help in the form of volunteers.

Those interested in becoming volunteer drivers with the DAV can contact Jim Everard at 607-205-0794. The process to become a volunteer involves completing an application, a physical examination and health screening, and a background check.

"There’s not just driving jobs, there’s also office work they can do," said Hulslander. "We have a couple of guys that all they do is escort the patients to their appointments and then pick them up and bring them back to our office so we can arrange for their rides home. That's all that they do. And we used to have a slew of them, but since COVID I think the number is cut in half."

More information on the DAV and their services can be found at DAV.org.