Mileage Reimbursement Keeps Cortez’s Senior Volunteers in Action

Cortez’s growing network of senior volunteers has become a foundation for essential community services, but rising fuel costs and insufficient mileage reimbursement have made it harder for volunteers to continue showing up. The volunteer manager for Spark the Change Colorado saw this challenge firsthand: With 105 volunteers across 24 community stations now driving to deliver Meals on Wheels, distribute food, and transport rescue animals, the program exhausted its annual reimbursement budget in just three months. So, she reached out to LOR with a solution: expand mileage reimbursement so senior volunteers can continue serving without bearing the cost themselves. LOR’s funding will help Spark the Change Colorado cover 18,000 additional miles of driving, sustaining volunteer participation and ensuring local organizations and residents continue to receive reliable support.