Carol's Specially Adapted Van

On October 19th, 2014, Carol Ortis was in a tragic accident. A seventeen-year-old driver hit Carol in a side-impact collision at an intersection, totaling her wheelchair adapted van. As a result Carol's life has been completely devastated. Any independence she had or ability to manage her life was taken away. She is now entirely homebound and must rely on others to accomplish everyday tasks. For Carol, the most heartbreaking aspect of losing her van was losing the opportunity to regularly volunteer.

Carol is a life-long volunteer, a Visiting Nurse Service patient, and a quadriplegic. Though limited physically, she has spent her life in the service of others - giving her time (tens of thousands of volunteer hours) and attention to those in need. She is the recipient of over a dozen "volunteer of the year" awards. Despite her disability, she maintains a level of enthusiasm and positive energy the rest of us can only wish we had. She is an inspiration to all who have the opportunity to know her. Carol gives her phone number freely, telling people, “I’m just a phone call away.” Whether it’s lending a sympathetic ear or directing someone on how and where to get the help they need she says simply, “Just call me.”

Notable awards Carol has received:

1994 Visiting Nurse Service Volunteer of the Year
1995 National Visiting Nurses Association Volunteer of the Year
1996 United Way J.C. Penney Golden Rule Award for Volunteerism
1996 Olympic Torch Relay Hero Monroe County
1997 Town of Webster Citizen’s Award
1997 Webster Bayview YMCA Volunteer of the Year
1998 WROC Jefferson Award
1998 Reynolds Metals Salutes Meals On Wheels Volunteers/Special Achievement
2000 Ford Taurus and Citymeals-On-Wheels Food For Thought National Salute
2000 Penfield Chapter DAR Award for Excellence in Community Service
2006 Rochester Business Journal Healthcare Award
2014 Visiting Nurse Service Meals On Wheels 20 Years of Service Award

Please consider making a donation of any amount to help Carol replace her van. Let's help her get back on the road and back to work helping others.

Thank you for taking the time to read Carol's story.