The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) relies heavily on the generous contributions of volunteers to help veterans access the care and benefits afforded them.  Due to changes in the level of funding for the Beneficiary Travel program the VA was forced to seek alternative methods for transporting eligible veterans to VA facilities and/or authorized facilities. In 1987, Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Volunteer Transportation Network (VTN) was established to assist veterans in receiving reimbursement for transportation costs; today it exists for any veteran needing to be physically driven to a location to receive VA services.

The VTN is a volunteer based network. Volunteers are enlisted to drive veterans to and from medical appointments and other VA service facilities. Volunteers may offer rides in privately-owned or government-owned vehicles, donated vehicles, county vehicles and DAV State or Chapter vehicles. 

Last year alone 8,532 volunteers provided 736,081 rides.  These volunteers logged over 27 million miles nation wide donating almost 2 million hours of service providing access to care for veterans.  Although impressive, these numbers are not nearly high enough. Filling the critical need for volunteer drivers has become a priority of VA.

If you would like more information regarding the Volunteer Transportation Network, visit www.volunteer.va.gov/apps/VolunteerNow.