Snow Day Vignettes: SMART VAN Runs Seniors To Appointments (Video)

By Edward Cardenas

ST. CLAIR SHORES (CBS Detroit) - It may have been a snow day Monday for schools and some government offices, but not for the St. Clair Shores Senior Activities Center SMART van.

About half the normal staff battled through the record snow early in the morning to provide transportation services to seniors in the community who needed to get to dialysis, and rely on the van.

"That's not like a regular doctor's appointment, they need to get to that appointment," said Sue Fickau, Senior Activities Center director. "We came in, we had a driver come in, we got down the roads. It was difficult but we got them there."

The service is offered through a partnership between St. Clair Shores and SMART and supported through a millage.

Fickau stated that in a regular 2-4 inch snow, the service would run normally. But with the heavy snow, many doctors cancelled appointments.

While the service provided rides to seniors, Fickau encouraged homeowners to help their senior neighbors clear the heavy snow.

"Help your neighbor," she stated.