Profile: Penny Cole and Leslie Philippe, Drivers at Door2Door

For Penny Cole and Leslie Philippe, being drivers at sometimes means going above and beyond the normal duties found in the job description.

"Penny has been known to crawl through the window," said Reed Cochran, executive director of SCM. She did so, explained Cole, when an elderly man she was driving home forgot his keys. Cole crawled through the window, scrambled over a counter, and unlocked the man's door from inside his home.

Technically speaking, it's not something drivers are supposed to do.

Philippe has been known to show up at elderly riders' homes on his days off to help out.

"We're not supposed to do that, but I used to go on Saturday, when I'm not working, and cut the grass for free," he said, calling it "just a nice thing to do." When people become like family members—and Cole and Philippe's riders are like family, they say—it's wrong not to help them when you see they're in need, Philippe explained.

And that's another thing: "You're not supposed to get attached," he said. 

However, when "you pick up the same people every other day … and you get to know those people … you do get attached," Cole said. "I've been to more than one wake."

A combined 34 years of driving and helping

Between the two of them, Cole and Philippe have been driving at Door2Door for over 34 years; Cole's been a driver for 18 years, and Philippe's been one for over 16 years. 

Door2Door Transportation by SCM—SCM stands for Somerville, Cambridge and Medford—is a non-profit organization based outside Davis Square, and it's mission is "to help people get to where they want to go and have independent lives without car keys," explained Cochran. Somerville residents, particularly those who live near Davis Square, have likely seen Door2Door's white- and green-colored vans. The organization has been around for 27 years.

Most of the people who use Door2Door are elderly or disabled. Many have Alzheimer's or dementia. Some are undergoing radiation treatment for cancer. Often times their family members are leading busy lives or living in another part of the country. "Some of these people don't really have anybody," explained Cole.

Door2Door takes them to medical appointments, elderly day care facilities and the grocery store, among other places. The organization makes 10,000 one-way trips each month.

For Philippe and Cole, it's more than transportation

In many ways, however, the organization provides more than just transportation. It's a lifeline to the outside world for elderly people who might otherwise be stuck at home, and it fosters friendship and social engagement, in large part due to drivers like Cole and Philippe.

Philippe said, "We have people going shopping, six, seven, eight years with us. The same group."

Riders love the weekly shopping trip "just to get out and see everybody," explained Cole.

Falling in love with the job

Philippe, who originally comes from Haiti and was a cab driver in New York City before moving to the Boston area in the late 1980s, said when he took the job "I wasn't going to stay for more than six months … but I fell in love with the job."

He talks about the first woman he met on the job. She was elderly and wouldn't talk to anyone other than her daughter, but over time, she and Philippe developed a rapport. "I was the only person she would talk to," he said. The woman's daughter was so appreciative of this, in fact, that she would give Philippe $5 every morning for coffee. Then the daughter went on vacation. One morning, Philippe arrived at the old lady's home and noticed something was different with her. Her eyes were glazed, and she had some other symptoms that concerned Philippe. A helper was staying at the home, but it was Philippe, the woman's driver, who decided to call 911. It turned out the woman had suffered a heart attack, and she soon passed away.

"I said, forget it, I don't want to stay here anymore," said Philippe after the woman died. He had to take some time off, "and I cried and cried and cried," he said. Eventually he came back to the job.

When Cole started the job 18 years ago, she took a liking to it. "I enjoy driving. It's relaxing to me, believe it or not. I don't mind being in traffic." 

One of her most memorable moments involved a woman who was originally supposed to come over on the Titanic. "She was five years old and came down with the chicken pox," Cole said. As a result, they didn't embark on the Titanic. "Because of that, it probably saved her life."

Listening to people is one of the biggest parts of the job. Riders appreciate "[taking] the time to have a conversation with them … for a lot of these people, we really brighten their days," Cole said.

"People are very appreciative of the service, and they let us know it," she said.

Like being part of a family

Barbara Hutchinson, a 78-year-old Somerville resident, agrees. "All the drivers are fantastic," she said. "Some of them are like daughters to me, and sons, really."

For Philippe and Cole, the bonds also extend in the other direction. The Door2Door community supported Philippe when his wife got cancer 9 years ago, he said. Now, when he's not driving, Philippe spends time with his family, including his wife, who has survived the cancer, his five sons and nine grandchildren. Philippe, who lives in Malden, is also a minister at the Malden Haitian Church of the Nazarene. 

Cole, who has three daughters and six grandchildren, is herself a survivor of breast cancer. Also a Malden resident, she enjoys bowling and cribbage when she's not driving.

Both Cole and Philippe find their work rewarding, but agree it's not for everybody. It can be demanding, and drivers need to be patient, relaxed and good with people. "We're doing the job not because we're making money, but because we love it," said Philippe. 

"It makes us feel good to do the job," said Cole.

How many people can say that?