Courtesy Van: The best kept secret in Bella Vista

The incoming president of a 23-year-old nonprofit is happy to talk about the agency.

"We're the best kept secret in Bella Vista," Becky Fox said about the Bella Vista Courtesy Van, but she's hoping to change that. Events like the Senior Health Fair will give her an opportunity to connect with both people in need and people who can help. She also plans to be at the Bella Vista Hay Days festival this weekend.

"We're a totally volunteer, donation-driven group," she explained.

The Courtesy Van gets some funding from area churches, and about 20 percent of its funding comes from the riders. Golf and card groups donate as well, but driving Bella Vistans is a big job, and the group is looking for a way to increase its van replacement fund. The state used to help pay for the vans, but that program was cut recently.

The Courtesy Van provides a ride to anyone who needs it, Fox said. Medical needs are top priority, but they also drive area residents to beauty shops and shopping centers. They travel from the Jane, Mo., business district in the north to Mercy hospital in the south and many places in between.

There are 12 volunteer schedulers who arrive at the Highlands Crossing building early each day. They listen to the answering machine and retrieve cards for each rider. When the two volunteer drivers arrive, they look at the cards and divide them up.

Many of the riders are on their way to a medical appointment. There are regular dialysis appointments as well. At times people use the service on a temporary basis while they recover from an accident or a surgery.

One of the first destinations each day is Village House, where adults who need supervision or company can spend their day. The Courtesy Van drops off several of Village House's clients every day.

Although occasionally a rider is asked to postpone a non-medical trip, no one with a request within the organization's parameters is turned down, Fox said.

Some riders are regulars, like the 80-year-old woman who traveled to a nursing home once a week to play the piano for the "old" residents, Fox said. She also remembers a man who lived at Highland Health Care and asked for a ride to Concordia three times a week because his wife lived there.

The organization can also help young people, Fox said. One young woman who doesn't drive asked for a ride to doctor's appointments because her mother is gone all day at work in Bentonville.

With no public transportation in Bella Vista, the Courtesy Van allows some residents to stay in their own home.

For more information about the Courtesy Van, visit its website -- www.bellavistacourtesyvan.com -- or call 479-855-7663.