When your alternator dies in the middle of I75 S during midday traffic, you know immediately that that you’re not going to get far. In fact, making it to the shoulder is really the primary goal. I know this firsthand, because very recently, this became my nightmare. With just enough juice to amble over to the emergency lane, I put her in park and promptly burst into tears. That is, until he appeared. I caught a glimpse of the light in my rearview, flashing its yellow beacon of hope in my moment of desperation. He stepped out of the van and approached slowly, and I knew I was saved. He was…a Samaritan.
To Cincinnati locals, the CVS Samaritan Vans are a familiar sight, like Graeter’s Ice Cream or Gold Star Chili. We see them zipping up and down the expressway, cruising the same routes every day, and we take their presence for granted. To a motorist in trouble, however, these “Samaritans” are a miracle incarnate.
The CVS Samaritan program was started in Providence, Rhode Island during the blizzard of 1978. According to Paul Ponzio Jr., President of Samaritania, Inc., “One of the ways that CVS gives back to the community is by showing that CVS cares about people, their families, and the community they live in. From being there for those folks needing help on the freeway, to helping out the community with special events, to providing health and safety education to the public, the Samaritan is right there to help out. I think CVS with sponsoring the Samaritan Program has really shown that it is a very special company.”
In Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, the Samaritan program is jointly sponsored by CVS, ARTIMIS, The Ohio Department of Transportation, and the Kentucky Transportation Department. Samaritans provide a variety of traffic related services, at no cost to the public. Among (though not limited to) these services are traffic control, repair of disabled vehicles, vehicle and brush fire containment, directions for lost drivers and animal control. According to Ponzio, all Samaritans are also State Certified EMTs or Paramedics.
But for the grace of CVS, I may have sat crying in my car in 90+ degree temperatures for an hour. This would have been my own stupidity, as I was on the side of an exit ramp, but hey-I was upset! Instead, I was given hope and a jump start.
The Samaritan Vans have assisted countless Cincinnatians over the past twenty-nine years, and we can only hope that they continue to do so for twenty-nine more. While there is no specific phone number to call for Samaritan assistance, Ponzio stated that a motorist in need can call the local or state police, and a van can be dispatched. You can find out more at www.cvssamaritan.com/.
