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The drive from McKeesport to Pittsburgh's Shadyside neighborhood is only about a half-hour. From the city to Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood is maybe a little less, depending on traffic.

Getting there on a bus can take at least an hour. And McKeesport to Monroeville on a bus? Try two hours, including a transfer between two different bus routes. If you've never done it, imagine how difficult it is to get anywhere on time.

Now, imagine trying to make one of those trips on a bus while recovering from cancer surgery, or while suffering the side effects of chemotherapy and other treatments.

The American Cancer Society is trying to make those kinds of trips a little bit easier for patients and caregivers. The agency's East Central Division, which serves the Mon Valley, is recruiting drivers and their vehicles for its "Road to Recovery" program.

Volunteers are asked to occasionally --- once a month, or perhaps a few times per year --- drive a cancer patient to a doctor's appointment, says Sharon Stalter, health initiatives representative.

"We have a lot of demand," she says. "The need has increased dramatically, and I think it's a result of the economy and a lack of public transportation in certain areas."

"Road to Recovery" was launched in 1981, though the cancer society has been offering similar ride programs since the 1960s. Last year, 52 volunteers provided 1,670 trips in Allegheny County alone, Stalter says, but volunteers in the Mon-Yough area are sorely lacking.

"Our goal would be to fulfill all of our trips, but we definitely need to expand our volunteer base," she says.

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Volunteers do not need any special medical training and patients must be able to walk, without help, to and from the car. Volunteers do need a reliable vehicle and a good driving record, and must complete a short training session and a background check.

When there's a need in their area, the society will email or call to ask if the driver is available, Stalter says.

"We have one lady who only goes to and from Monroeville, and that's fine," she says. "We could use volunteers who want to drive all over Allegheny County, or just stay near McKeesport. They could just do a drop-off --- let's say if someone is going for chemotherapy and they're going to be at the doctor's for a few hours --- and we'll arrange for another person to pick them up."

Many of the volunteer drivers are retirees, Stalter says. "Some of the people who volunteer have themselves been affected by cancer, or maybe had a family member affected with cancer, and this is a great way for them to give back," she says.

The service isn't meant to be a support service or provide anything other than a ride, Stalter says. "The nice thing about this program is that you don't need to make a big commitment," she says. "It could be an hour or two a week or an hour or two a month."

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For more information, call (412) 919-1100 or email Sharon.Stalter@cancer.org.

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