Putting my Overland skills into Community Service

[1leglance]

Recently I heard about an event called the Tour de Cure put on by the American Diabetes Association and wanted to help somehow. Anyone can put out snacks or fill drink cups, but why not try to find a way to use my Overland skills to help in a way that others can't?

There are a couple of special skills that went into gaining my Overland Certification that were of interest to the event organizers, but packing a fridge or winching out a stuck bicycle weren't it.
However having Wilderness First Responder training has value helping at a rest stop and being a amateur radio operator has value in almost all aspects of an event of like this.

Since the Maricopa Country Emergency Communication Group had the radio aspect covered, great bunch of people by the way, I offered to be the medic at a rest stop. If you have a chance to do things like this it is not only a great way to be of service to the community but also meet some fun people.

I felt lucky that we only had one false alarm of a medical nature and even then I had a chance to use my ham radio to stay in touch with the ham at the rest stop while I jogged up the street to check things out.

It is interesting how often people check out my rig, or hear about my trips and call it all “fun and games”, however to me there is more than just fun to life and using my rig, my skills or my resources to help others while having fun gives it all a bit more meaning.

It would be great to hear from others about how they have put their rigs or skills to use for Meals on Wheels, helping during foul weather or ??

 

[Mr. Leary]

I often go out and patrol the roads when the weather is poor, as do many others. It is good to feel useful, but its not always at times of my choosing. I often just find myself there and am unable to stand idly by while I could be of use.

Two weeks ago tdesanto and I witnessed an ATV rollover with a minor injury. Kudos to Tony for being well prepared, cool, calm, and collected.

Other nights I find myself driving home and come across someone in a ditch (bad weather) or an accident and feel compelled to stop and render aid. I will always do this, but more for selfish reasons. A few years ago, a stranger stopped to help after I was in a bad accident, and ended up saving my life. I never saw him face to face or got his name. I suppose I will never know who he was, but have vowed to pay it forward for the rest of my life.

Bones and I are planning a trip to the intercoastal waterway in summer to function as support crew / emergency extraction team for a sailing event.

The_Mrs. and I volunteer when we can to help out at local cleanups and charitable events, and have found, as Lance has pointed out, that we and our vehicle are well suited to these tasks, even if they are as simple as making sure participants stay hydrated and get to meals on time. We also volunteer for trail maintainance and other small projects from time to time.

Good thread, Lance. There are so many ways that well prepared and caring people such as many members of this forum can make a difference.

 

[Backwoods Rambler]

I am a member of the F.E.A.T here in the Denver Metro area. I've only been called up twice in the 7 years I've been doing it.

 

[taco2go]

Good on you 1leglance. Great threat and great cause.
Some of us peds folks here in G. Rap, along with some residents and med students have been participating in the Tour De Cure for several years- it was cancelled this year due to lack of funds and organizers in our region.
We're going to try setting something up locally anyway...

 

[stolenheron]

i feel pretty good when i use my truck to help people out. i've towed more than a few stuck motorists out of ditches or muddy medians.

I also tend to drive ALOT when the weather becomes the wrath of god. I remember helping some officers out last year during a tornado filled storm to moving trees out of the road.

Although there hasn't been a hurricane in my area of south florida since i've had my rover, if one does come, i'll be ready to help out for sure.

now, we were on the note of helping people....but i use my Rover even more for helping animals. I tend to explore Tuskegee National Forest quite often when i'm spending my time at school in alabama. I've found several abused and completely emaciated dogs....the kind you see on that Sarah McLachlan commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gspElv1yvc . I have a dog of my own, a shelter dog, and its been the best thing in my life thus far, so i'm more than happy to spend a few hours or days of my time to help a single pooch. i usually find them WAY back in the woods, starving, weak, covered in ticks, fleas, or sometimes mange. pull out the tarp and they ride home with me on top of my rear cargo setup. then i find them homes. although you can do this in any setting, without a 4x4 or AWD vehicle, i couldnt have been the places i found them at. without my truck, those dogs would have been dead.

 

[Dennis David]

Just volunteered for the Red Cross, Got certified for CPR/AED, will get my ham license next week and plan on taking wilderness first responder training later this summer. All will be used to help my community as well.

 

[lcsodiver]

I volunteer on the local Sheriff's Special Vehicles Team... we get to go out when the deputies and troopers can't reach a stuck/lost vehicle. Then tow/unstick them, and escort them back to the deputies for debrief. Lots of fun!!

Pulling out a stuck F-350 in the snow.