Meet Gail!

Gail has lived in Muskego for 30 years. She first learned about Muskego Senior Taxi while she was still working and saw a notice in Muskego newspaper “the Sun” that we were looking for volunteer drivers. Gail thought, “When I retire, I want to do that.” She retired in May 2018 and spent that summer enjoying time with her grandchildren. Then once her grandkids went back to school in the fall, Gail remembered the Taxi and contacted us to say she was ready to drive. Before she retired, she ran several programs in a large child care agency in Milwaukee.

Not wanting to sit home after she retired, Gail wanted to become a volunteer, saw this local need & felt volunteering at the Taxi would be a great way to help people in her community. Gail loves her role as a volunteer driver and says, “The people that we drive are fun & so diverse. They are so appreciative, and it makes my heart feel good.” Gail says of course she would recommend her volunteer job to others and she was pleasantly surprised to find such diversity in our riders. There is a mix of seniors and also many young adults. She says, “Some people are so funny…we have a good time”.

 

In addition to her volunteer work for the Taxi, Gail loves to read, so she spends a lot of time reading. She also enjoys keeping in touch and meeting friends, former co-workers, and her sisters for lunch. Her grandkids like to say that Grandma “Goes lunching”. And Gail still loves to spend as much time as she can with her grandkids.

Gail has been married for 40 years and has 2 daughters. One of her daughters is married with a 9-year-old son and a 7-year-old-daughter. They live in Franksville, making it nice and close to visit. Gail’s 2^nd daughter just got married at the end of July and lives 2 hours north of here in a tiny town called Marcusson with her newly formed family, including 3 dogs.

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Oktoberfest is October 3rd……………………. Buy your tickets now!

Oktoberfest is just around the corner, still need to buy your tickets?

Contact the office at 262 – 679 – 4754 or email Karin at muskegoseniortaxi@yahoo.com

60 for 1 ticket, $50 when you purchase 2 or more

Buy a table for 6 and receive Reserved Seats & Table Prize

Call Muskego Senior Taxi at 262-679-4754 to purchase tickets in advance using cash or check

To purchase online using credit visit https://taxioktoberfest2019.eventbrite.com

Beer and Wine Tasting, German Music, Food, and Games/ Prizes!

Dinner includes:
• Sauerbraten and Spätzle
• Chicken Schnitzel on Pretzel Bun with Dill Caper Cream
• Brat Sliders with Sauerkraut and Dusseldorf Mustard.

$60 for 1 ticket, $50 when you purchase 2 or more.

Meet Al – friendly Taxi Volunteer!

Al Johnson has lived in Muskego for 33 years and decided to become a volunteer with Muskego Senior Taxi after seeing our taxis around the neighborhood. He called the office phone number that’s written on the doors of the taxi and has been a driver with us for 3 years now.

Al started volunteering with us after he retired from 31 years with Holz Motors in Hales Corners. While working at Holz, Al held every position you can think of with the exception of fixing cars. And since his wife of 40 years (this September), Sharon told him that he was not allowed to just stay around the house after retiring, the Taxi was the perfect way to utilize his time and talent outside the home. Sharon is also retired (they retired within 2 weeks of each other). She volunteers on the Hunger Taskforce Farm in Franklin.

Al’s favorite part of driving for the Taxi is interacting with the amazing clients. They are all so interesting to talk with and have great stories. In fact, Al recommends the taxi to family and friends and recruited Therese, who is now one of our wonderful volunteers. Therese is a friend of Al and Sharon, but Al had to give Therese “the business” for utilizing Sharon as her personal reference rather than Al.

Outside of the Taxi, Al plays a lot of golf and he and Sharon enjoy travelling. Their latest trip was a 2-week cruise to the Caribbean Islands. Their next trip is still in the planning stages but they have it narrowed down to a European River Cruise.

Al has a son who works for Miller-Cooers, a 16-month-old grandson, and a daughter, who is a social worker. They all live in the area, making it easier to stay in close touch.

We appreciate all you do Al!

Meet Kathy!

Kathy came to volunteer as a driver at Muskego Senior Taxi 4 years ago when she was looking for volunteer opportunities, saw our ad in “The Highlighter” magazine and reached out to our Executive Director. Kathy always has a good feeling as she gets the young adults & seniors where they need to go. Kathy enjoys getting to know all of the friendly clients and staff. In fact, she tells all kinds of people how rewarding it is to volunteer with the Taxi.

She especially likes the kind-hearted people that are so appreciative of what we do, who express their many thanks. Even the families of our clients are always saying” thank you” for the service we provide.

Outside of volunteering at the Taxi, Kathy has many interests – she loves to be active outdoors in nature whenever our Wisconsin weather permits. She loves to garden… and grows lots of veggies to make salsa and also has a perennial garden. Kathy also likes to hike in the Kettle Moraine state forest, play with her dogs, go biking, and play golf with her husband of 27 years wherever the mood takes them. Although she’s lost her parents, Kathy has 3 siblings in the area that she’s close with and 15 nieces & nephews.

Thank you for all you do Kathy!

Meet Milan!

Milan came to volunteer with Muskego Senior Taxi about 3 months ago after receiving one of our postcards in the mail explaining that we are looking for drivers to drive for the Taxi. Milan and his wife Irene, being avid volunteers, had previously been very busy doing volunteer work with their church. That work started to slow down a bit so Milan was looking to add some volunteer work back into his schedule and now gives of his time so generously for the Taxi. Milan so enjoys this work as a great opportunity to give back to his community. He describes everyone he’s met as kind and helpful. He especially appreciated that as a new driver, he was able to ride along with a more experienced driver to learn the ropes prior to venturing out on his own. Prior to coming to volunteer with us, Milan retired as an Engineer and was a Project Manager at GE Healthcare. Outside of volunteering at his church and at the Taxi, Milan had coached soccer for many years. In fact, he was one of the founders of the Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club. He was even inducted into the Wisconsin Soccer Hall of Fame in 2014 for coaching, playing and administration! Additionally, Milan and his wife taught Serbian Folk Dancing and still participate in the annual International Folk Fare.

Milan and Irene have been married for 54 years. They first met through their fathers who had been POWs together in Germany and then reunited in the US.  Today Milan is a proud Veteran of the Airforce. He and Irene share two daughters and eight grandchildren ranging in age from 16 to 27.

Thank you Milan for giving so generously to the Taxi and for your military service. We and the many families in the Muskego area who benefit from transportation for essential appointments and their overall well-being are grateful to you. We couldn’t do this without volunteers like you!

Meet Irene. What’s her secret to longevity?

Irene has been riding with Muskego Senior Taxi for a while. She loves having the peace of mind, knowing she can call the Taxi, make an appointment for a ride, and a friendly driver will arrive on-time to pick her up and get her to her destination safely. Irene still has her own car and does drive herself around town. But she likes to use the Taxi when she travels and needs to be dropped off at the Amtrak station or the airport without having to leave her car in the parking lot.

And more recently she needed a ride to an appointment while her car was being repaired. She is so grateful that her car being in the shop didn’t stop her from keeping her important appointment. The best part of the Taxi service for Irene is knowing that she is not “locked in” to her home and she can come and go as she needs, even without driving herself. Irene loves getting out using The Taxi and enjoys the independence it provides her. She gets to go where she needs to go while engaging with a lot of different people.

Irene’s been blessed with her wonderful family. She has one daughter and four sons. They all live in various places around the US, but luckily one of her sons lives in the area, so he’s also available to drive her if needed. The Taxi saves her son time and allows all of her children to know that their mother is safe.  Irene also has 16 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. 

We asked Irene, “What’s your secret to living a long and happy life?” She told us she enjoys doing jigsaw puzzles and crossword puzzles. She’s a strong believer in doing what we can to keep our minds sharp. She reads quite a bit and sure likes to travel. Having an active life keeps her young.

On behalf of the Muskego Senior Taxi, we thank Irene for sharing her story and encourage you to share it! Muskego Senior Taxi provides rides Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, with the last pick up at 3:30 pm. Call 262-679-4754 or email scheduletaxi@yahoo.com to make an appointment for your next ride!

Meet Therese!

A Muskego resident for 18 years, Therese is one of Muskego Seniors Taxi’s newest Volunteer Drivers. She had been contemplating joining our team of drivers after seeing our Taxis around the community and being recruited by retired Taxi Board Member, Nancy Kangas. During Lent she made her move and contacted us about driving for The Taxi Service. She thought that Taxi Driving would serve as perfect act of kindness to commit to during Lent. She now finds that volunteering as a driver is not only a great way to give back to her community, but an opportunity to meet new people in our community. Therese says, “Volunteering as a Taxi Driver is turning out to be a really neat experience for me because I get to talk to all of the pleasant clients and get to know them.”Outside of the Taxi, Therese does a lot of volunteer work with her church, such as serving on the Parish Council. As a stay-at-home-mom and former HR Director at the Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare System, she spends most of her time managing her household of 4. Her husband is an Attorney at GE Healthcare. Her son just graduated from Muskego Highs School and is heading to UW-Eau Claire in the fall. Her daughter will be a sophomore in the fall at Muskego High School and is a Trinity Irish Dancer, who plans to travel to Germany in July to participate in the International Dance Festival.

Therese, we thank you for sharing some of your free time with Muskego Senior Taxi.  Your generous donation of time and talents supports the many families in the Muskego area who need transportation for attending essential appointments for their overall well-being.  We couldn’t do this without volunteers like you!