Dannevirke's St Vincent de Paul donation keeps shuttle wheels turning

Dannevirke's St Vincent de Paul volunteers have given a substantial donation to the St John Health Shuttle. Rose Stewart, left, Teresa Mills, Don Stewart of St John, Frances Walshe, Cheryl Dornbusch and Kerry Duley.

A substantial donation from the volunteers at Dannevirke's St Vincent de Paul second-hand shop will help keep the wheels of our St John Health Shuttle turning.

The volunteers from St Vinnies are proud to be helping the volunteers who run the health shuttle service continue to provide a vital service for our district.

"Before the St John Shuttle service began we would take people to Palmerston North to their medical appointments," St Vinnies volunteer Frances Walshe said.

"The money we take in at the store comes from the people here, so it's good it goes back to them."

The team at St Vinnies on High St are kept very busy, with the demand for second-hand items increasing, Frances said.

St Vinnies has been a regular contributor since the St John Health Shuttle service began, and Don Stewart said it all helps to keep the shuttles on the road.

"With the price of petrol going up and having to navigate the Saddle Rd, we're very dependent on generosity like this," he said. "And we've a growing demand, because for people moving to Dannevirke, one of the attractions is this shuttle service."

In September the Dannevirke St John Health Shuttles travelled 10,747km to Palmerston North, Wellington, the Hutt Valley and Kenepuru Hospital in Porirua, carrying 205 passengers, with the volunteers clocking up 588 hours.

"We're making four or five trips a day and our new Mercedes shuttle is going very well," Stewart said. "But we're looking at replacing another of our shuttles because they do a heck of a lot of work and don't last forever."