In rural Noble County, Ohio, limited public transit options can make reaching essential healthcare services difficult, especially for aging military veterans. To address the problem, a county-run program relies on volunteer drivers to ensure former service members make it to their medical visits.

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The Noble County Veterans Service office has coordinated the volunteer transportation network since around 2015. The initiative provides rides for everything from routine check-ups at local facilities to specialized medical care in larger metropolitan areas.

Joe Williams, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who serves as the Noble County Veterans Service Officer, emphasized that many former service members hesitate to seek assistance from friends or relatives. He explained that veterans might go without needed healthcare if they worry about imposing on family, making an organized county service vital for the community.

The program currently runs a fleet of three SUVs. A third vehicle joined the rotation in 2025, made possible through a donation from the Ernest Hayes Trust. The fleet covers roughly 40,000 miles annually, and Williams noted that mileage is projected to climb as local needs increase.

For veterans like Rex Theobald, an 87-year-old U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, the service provides critical peace of mind. Health challenges prevent Theobald from driving himself, and volunteers have stepped in to transport him to major procedures, including heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. Another local resident, U.S. Army veteran James Serdy, avoids driving to specialized hearing appointments in Columbus, Ohio, relying on volunteer transit to safely reach urban medical centers.

Volunteer driver Randall Sales joined the effort to give back to former military members who served the country. Williams pointed out that rural communities routinely build local partnerships to solve infrastructure shortfalls and support neighbors in need.

All 88 counties across Ohio maintain a dedicated Veterans Service Office to assist former service members with transit, benefits, and support programs.

Source: WOSU — Original report

Wararka Af-Soomaaliga

Darawallo Mutadawiciin Ah Oo Askartii Hore Ee Ohio Gaarsiiya Daryeel Caafimaad

Deegaanka miyiga ah ee Noble County, Ohio, gaadiidka dadweynaha ee xaddidan ayaa caqabad weyn ku noqday askartii hore ee ciidanka Maraykanka marka ay u baahdaan daryeel caafimaad. Si arrintaas xal loogu helo, xafiiska adeegga askartii hore ee Noble County Veterans Service ayaa abaabulay shabakad darawallo mutadawiciin ah oo askartan u qaada ballamaha dhakhaatiirta.

Tan iyo ku dhawaad sannadkii 2015, xafiisku wuxuu iskudubaridayay safarrada caafimaad ee askarta, kuwaas oo isugu jira baaritaanno joogto ah oo maxalli ah iyo booqashooyin takhasus gaar ah oo loogu tago goobo caafimaad oo ku yaalla magaalooyin fogfog. Joe Williams, oo ah madaxa xafiiska Noble County Veterans Service isla markaana horay uga tirsanaa ciidanka U.S. Marine Corps, ayaa sharraxay in askar badan ay ka labalabeeyaan inay caawimaad weydiistaan qoysaskooda ama asxaabtooda cabsida ay ka qabaan in culays lagu noqdo darteed. Williams wuxuu xusay in bulshooyinka yaryar ay isku tashadaan oo ay dhisaan iskaashi ay isku taageeraan.

Barnaamijkan ayaa hadda ku shaqeeya saddex gaari oo nooca SUV-ga ah. Gaarigii saddexaad ayaa howsha lagu daray sannadkii 2025 kaddib markii uu bixiyay sanduuqa dhaxalka ee Ernest Hayes Trust. Gaadiidka xafiiska ayaa sannad kasta jara celcelis ahaan ku dhowaad 40,000 oo mayl, waxaana la saadaalinayaa in masaafadaasi ay intaas ka sii badato maadama baahida gaadiidka ee askartu ay sii kordhayso.

Adeeggan ayaa nafis weyn u ah askarta da’da ah sida Rex Theobald, oo ah 87 jir horay uga tirsanaa ciidanka lugta ee U.S. Army xilligii Dagaalkii Vietnam. Xaaladdiisa caafimaad ma oggola inuu gaari kaxeysto, waxaana darawallada mutadawiciinta ah ay u qaadeen qalliin xagga wadnaha ah oo loogu sameeyay xarunta caafimaadka ee Cleveland Clinic. Sidoo kale, James Serdy oo isna ka tirsanaa U.S. Army xilligii Dagaalkii Vietnam, dhibaato dhanka maqalka ahna qaba, ayaa sheegay inuusan ammaan ahaan awoodin inuu gaari ku tago ballamahiisa caafimaad ee magaalada Columbus, Ohio, isagoo si buuxda ugu tiirsan gaadiidka mutadawiciinta.

Randall Sales, oo ka mid noqday darawallada mutadawiciinta ah, ayaa xusay inuu doortay shaqadan si uu bulshadiisa wax ugu celiyo isla markaana u garab istaago dadkii dalka u soo adeegay.

Gobolka Ohio, dhammaan 88-ka degmo ayaa leh xafiisyo u gaar ah adeegga askartii hore sida kan ka howlgala Noble County, kuwaas oo u taagan inay askarta ka caawiyaan helidda adeegyada dawladda, gaadiidka, iyo taageerada ay u baahan yihiin.

Xigasho: WOSU