A Michiana Jeep club transports essential hospital employees during brutal weather conditions
ELKHART, Ind -- Throughout the snow storm the Michiana Jeep Club has partnered with Elkhart County Emergency Management to transport essential workers to Elkhart General Hospital so they can get to work safely.
The Michiana Jeep club says during times like this they look forward to getting calls to transport first responders here to Elkhart General Hospital.
Sabrina Robinson has been with the jeep club for 10 years and has spent half of that time on the community emergency response team.
"In the CERT program for maybe five years. We don’t get called out every year. It’s just when the roads are that bad," said Michiana jeep club member Sabrina Robinson.
This year the roads are pretty bad, making the driving conditions for essential workers a task in itself and risky at times, but that’s when the Jeep club comes into play.
They work closely with the Elkhart County Emergency Management team, who receives request from the hospital, for employees.
"I think if somebody in my family was in the hospital and needed some help and the hospital didn’t have enough of help, I would be sad about that. So, it’s nice to know that you’re helping whoever’s at the hospital make sure they have the care that they need," said Robinson.
Associates with the hospital tells me they couldn’t be happier with the club and all they do at their own expense.
"While many get the opportunity to stay home during these treacherous road conditions the hospital still has to continue to operate to give care to our community and so we’re extremely appreciative that the jeep club members that volunteer to brave those treacherous road conditions and bring those associates in so we can continue to provide that critical care to our community, it’s just very appreciated and very, very helpful," said Beacon Health System Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Mark Philson.
Robinson said they sometimes create relationships with the employees they transport and get to share stories of how the employee is being helped in the moment and moving forward.
One scenario involving one of her transports in previous years.
"One time there was a lady and she was brand new to the hospital. So, when they’re on probation they can only be sick so many times or they can only call off so many times and she said if she was late or didn’t make it that day, she would’ve been fired," said Robinson.
That’s one reason she will continue to volunteer to help those in need and build bridges that could potentially save a life.
"It’s fun. It’s fun to meet other people. It’s fun to show other people what a jeep can do and you also know that you’re helping people which a lot of people don’t have a chance to help others very often," said Robinson.