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The Highland Senior Center has approximately 17 drivers in its Transportation Assistance Program. Among these drivers— who each generously volunteer their personal time to help fellow seniors who are no longer able to drive— is 81-year-old Betty Davis. To Davis, helping other seniors by making sure they get to their doctor appointments, as well as to the pharmacy, grocery store, bank and beauty shop is a matter of course. “It’s pretty simple,” she says. “I can still drive and, for a variety of reasons, they can’t. So as long as I’m able to help, I will.” It all started in 1992, when Davis’ mother passed away. Already a widow for more than two decades, Davis felt compelled to make use of her time by doing something that would meaningfully impact the lives of others. That “something” manifested itself in the form of a newspaper ad she saw that was requesting volunteer drivers for homebound seniors. For Davis, the ad underscored how lucky she was to still be driving (although she’s a hard-core realist when it comes to anticipating the day when she will no longer be able to drive). So she answered the ad, passed all requisite California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) testing and criteria—and proceeded ably to becoming an official driver for the Transportation Assistance program in July of 1993.
Making a Difference
Davis receives gas money from the Highland Senior Center, along with an additional stipend when she drives over 200 miles a month (which is quite often). Admittedly, however, there’s a great deal more involved for Davis than simply playing chauffeur and being reimbursed for fuel costs. “There are a variety of ways I assist the people I drive,” explains Davis. “For example, one lady has macular degeneration. So it’s not just that she needs a ride to the grocery store. She needs my help to read the labels on the groceries at the store in order to make sure she’s buying the right thing, and also requires assistance to help her identify the various coins and bills in her wallet when paying. It makes me realize how fortunate I am, and I’m truly grateful to be able to share my blessings with others. ” Loneliness is another issue Davis says she frequently encounters with those she drives. “Many of the people I drive around to run errands are otherwise very isolated. They really enjoy talking while we’re driving,” she says, “and many times I’ll give them my phone number so they can call me if they need to talk to someone. Being able to remain independent in your own home is very impor tant. At the same time, people need compan ion ship as well. So I try my best to be there for them.” In addition to making a difference in the lives of many of her fellow seniors, rewards also come in the form of the numerous “regulars” who specifically ask for Davis when they call the Highland Senior Center for a ride. “I drive a lot of different people nearly every day of the week,” she explains. “I see many of these people only once or twice. But the regulars begin to feel like family and it’s impossi - ble to not get attached to them.” Counting Her Blessings Davis’ enthusiasm for helping isn’t limited to the Transportation Assistance Program. She can often be found matching Avon order slips and delivery envelopes at the house of a neighbor lady who needs a walker to get around. Knowing that her help is ensuring her neighbor is able to maintain her Avon business is yet another way that Davis keeps herself active. “The fact is there are some days when my arthritis aches pretty bad,” she says. “But when I hear the stories of the people I’m trying to help…those who have cancer, serious eyesight problems, multiple sclerosis or need dialysis… I just count my blessings and keep going!”
A Full Life
A native Californian, Davis grew up in Fontana, the “windy city of the west,” back when it was a town of citrus orchards, vineyards and chicken ranches straddling the famed Route 66 (now known as Foothill Blvd) and criss-crossed by numerous railroads. Since Fontana didn’t have its own high school at the time, Davis boarded a bus every day for four years in order to attend Ontario’s Chaffey High School, which now is the oldest and largest of the area’s high schools. After graduation she found work in Hollywood, as a nanny for Robert Stillman, tele vision producer of Bonanza. She worked as a carhop at Snow’s Drive-In, where she met and—not long afterward—married her husband in 1951, following a whirlwind three-month courtship. The couple had a daughter the following year. At the same time, Davis soon found out that she had a sister-in-law who also went by the name of “Betty Davis.” So Davis conceded to be “Bobby” to her in-laws. Davis and her husband also had a son in 1957, who later passed away in a car accident at the age of 30. She lost her husband in 1970. “You just have to go on and find other ways to be useful and lead a full life,” she says. “Death is a part of life.” For Davis, that wholehearted embrace of life takes many forms beyond her driving assign - ments and simply being neighborly. She’s a dedicated reader, mostly of mystery books and daily devotions. In addition, Davis enjoys attending Civic Light Opera in her hometown of Fontana with her older brother who still lives there. Plus she takes brisk, mile-long-walks every day. She also loves spending time with Nicky, a “big lovable mutt” she rescued from the street when he was just four months old. “Someone just abandoned him,” she says. “He had a foxtail in his ear and, after placing ads to find his owner through the vet and local paper, I decided he was meant to be mine. Even my daughter thinks he was sent especially to me. And, he is truly a godsend. “I’m a tough old gal,” adds Davis, “and very lucky. I’ve been here in Highland since 1956, when I had our son. We were going to move to the mountains, where my husband was to work for the Edison Company. But then he got cancer, so I was glad that we hadn’t moved, because it would have been much more difficult to raise our kids up there on my own. “Here, I have my brother, daughter-in-law and my grand - daughter,” she says. “I have people who count on me—and I love the fact that I can make a real and measurable difference by helping people who really need me. There’s just nothing like it!”
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