PERKIE Travels: Our Provo Valley Hospitals Shuttle Van

PERKIE Travels is named after Perena Marzo a.k.a. "Aunt Perkie." The program came about in 1994 after Lisa Perla-Martinez was driving her Aunt Perkie to Utah Valley on a daily basis for radiation treatments, and noticed how many people from the Carbon and Emery County area were also making the 180-mile drive. She came back to ARECIL's office and stated that some type of coordination of rides might be looked at to help people get to their treatments.

The effort for coordination began when Four Corners Mental Health, Carbon Senior Citizens Center, Active Re-Entry, Emery County Senior Citizens, and Emery County each donated the use of their vans, gasoline, insurance, and maintenance for one day each week.

Since that time Carbon County Seniors and Four Corners Mental Health have dropped out, and Active Re-Entry uses a mini-van provided by Carbon County Recreation and Transportation Special Service District. Emery County valiantly continues to provide the use of their vehicles.

What are PERKIE Travel's Schedules

Trips are made to the Utah Valley Medical Center as well as the Central Utah Multi-Specialty Clinic in Provo. The drivers will drop riders off at whichever facility their physicians and treatments are located.

Schedules: For consistency and to ensure that the roads have as much time to be cleared during the winter months, the van leaves from ARECIL at 11:30 am and depending on the number of riders, is returned between 3-4 PM each day. As space is available for the days that the Emery County vehicle is used, Emery residents can either be picked up in either Castle Dale or Huntington.

We are looking at instituting a gasoline reimbursement for Emery County residents for the days that they travel to Price.

Independent Living Skills Training

Provides skills training to enhance the independence of adults with disabilities in their homes, families, and communities. The program provides classes in cooking, assertiveness, relationships, financial management, adjustment to disability, and others as consumer needs dictate. Persons with disabilities can also get help finding accessible housing, receive peer support, and work individually with staff. See the calendar of upcoming events for up-to-date IL Skills training and activities.

How Do I Get a Lift?

Call Lisa Martinez at the Price ARECIL office at (435) 637-4950. There is a form that we need to have you complete (name, address, phone number, a person to contact in case of an emergency, etc.).

Riders gather at the Price Office. Helper residents leave from Swifts Stop & Shop.

Funding PERKIE Travels

A majority of the funding is provided by the Salt Lake Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. in addition, the United Way of Southeastern Utah provided funds in this past year as well as the proceeds from the Silpada jewelry sale donated by Nancy Boyle, PEO, and rider donations as well as private donations. PERKIE Travels is not affiliated with the American Cancer Society and has not received funds from the ACS.