For longtime operator Sandra Blair, driving for Jaunt has always been about more than reaching a destination. Some of her most meaningful moments happen in the conversations between one stop and the next, with the people she meets along the way.
After 28 years with Jaunt, Sandra says what she continues to enjoy most about being an operator is simple: meeting people, socializing and listening to riders’ stories.
That connection with people has been part of Sandra’s Jaunt experience from the beginning.
She was already familiar with the organization because family members and friends worked at Jaunt. Sandra eventually joined the team, starting in a part-time role before moving to full-time.
Over nearly three decades, she has transported countless people throughout the community. While every rider’s journey is different, some leave a lasting impression.
Sandra remembers one woman, a dialysis patient she regularly transported throughout the Charlottesville area. Over time, what began as a ride became a friendship.
Sandra even visited the woman before she passed away.
It is a memory that illustrates something Sandra has seen throughout her career: for many riders, Jaunt provides far more than transportation.
“Many passengers don’t have transportation,” Sandra said when asked about Jaunt’s impact on the community. She added that Jaunt gives riders the freedom to leave home, reach appointments, socialize and stay connected to the things that matter in their lives.
Sandra sees that need firsthand.
She describes Jaunt as critical to many riders’ daily lives and says passengers are grateful for the independence the service provides.
That is also what keeps the work meaningful for her.
When asked why she loves driving for Jaunt, Sandra returned to the same theme she mentioned at the beginning: building relationships with riders and hearing their stories.
After 28 years, those everyday connections remain at the heart of the job.
Outside of work, Sandra enjoys spending time with her family and church community, shopping, and following basketball and football.
For Sandra, a career behind the wheel has ultimately been a career spent alongside people, helping them reach appointments, stay engaged with their communities, and sometimes simply being there to listen.
Those everyday acts of service and connection are what keep Jaunt moving forward.
Thank you, Sandra, for your 28 years of helping Jaunt serve the community!
