Our
STORY
"I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things." – Mother Teresa
Drive a Senior-ATX was born out of West Austin Caregivers. A community-based volunteer service through Austin Metropolitan Ministries that was supported by 17 congregations in West Austin. The purpose of the program was to respond to the needs of the increasing number of seniors who were living alone and who could no longer drive.
From the beginning, West Austin Caregivers was well received by the elder clients, their families, and volunteers. As word of these services spread this caregiver model was replicated in other areas of the city. North West Austin, North Central Austin, North East Austin, and South Austin developed independent programs followed by Pflugerville, Round Rock, Georgetown and eventually South West Austin and Elgin. Representatives of supporting congregations govern and operate the individual groups. West Austin Caregivers has been a member of the American Society on Aging and the National Council on Aging from which it receives information about the changing national trends affecting older adults.
As West Austin Caregivers has evolved it changed its name to Drive a Senior West Austin to align with other caregiver groups and to reflect more closely its primary service. In 2020, Drive a Senior West Austin merged with Drive a Senior North Central to form Drive a Senior-ATX. The two agencies had functioned separately for over 30 years with very similar cultures and philosophies. As senior transportation needs are rapidly growing it is felt that one large organization can do a better job at expanding our services to meet the needs of all Austin aging adults. We are stronger together!