Plaistow selectmen approve pilot partnership with Greater Salem Caregivers for senior transportation

The Plaistow Board of Selectmen voted unanimously June 16 to partner with Greater Salem Caregivers and the Plaistow Lions Club to pilot a volunteer-driven senior transportation program and to fund an initial implementation phase.

The program will be run by Greater Salem Caregivers, a nonprofit that provides volunteer drivers and visitors to older and disabled adults in area towns. At the meeting, a representative said the service is intended primarily for medical appointments, grocery shopping and social visits and that volunteers undergo criminal-background and driving-record checks before being matched with clients. “We currently service older adults, disabled adults in the communities of Salem and Pelham,” the representative said.

The nonprofit’s representative and Lions Club volunteers told the board they plan to start recruitment July 1 and run an initial volunteer-recruitment and training period through September. The Lions Club said it has earmarked funds to help start the project and offered to share startup costs with the town; the nonprofit projected an initial implementation cost for phase 1 of $3,650 (a planning projection based on activity in neighboring towns).

Selectmen discussed logistics including volunteer screening, mileage reimbursement, service area and scheduling. The nonprofit said volunteers are screened with criminal- and driving-record checks, that volunteers are asked to have current driver’s licenses and insurance on file, and that the service does not provide hands‑on medical or mobility assistance; “we cannot do anything that requires us to put hands on that person,” the representative said, citing insurance and training limits.

Board members pressed for clarity on timelines and town involvement. The nonprofit said Greater Salem Caregivers would handle intake, scheduling and dispatch and asked the town to serve as a local partner for outreach and to help identify a local community liaison to conduct intakes and strengthen local connections. The Lions Club said it would support volunteer recruitment, promote informational sessions and staff a booth at Old Home Day to recruit volunteers.

The board approved a motion to move forward in partnership with Greater Salem Caregivers and the Plaistow Lions Club and to allocate $3,650 from the town to cover phase 1 and an initial portion of phase 2. The motion passed unanimously. The board and presenters said phases 1 and 2 will determine whether ongoing town funding is needed in year two; if volunteer recruitment fails to reach a minimum threshold, the project would not proceed to full service.

The nonprofit plans to recruit volunteers, perform home‑visit intakes for clients, and begin limited service once a suitable baseline number of drivers (presenters suggested as few as three to five) is available. The presenters said the program will be provided at no charge to clients and that volunteers can be reimbursed for mileage on request.

Selectmen asked that Greater Salem Caregivers return with updates about recruitment, volunteer licensing/insurance verifications, and any requests for further town subsidy during the 2026 budget process.