Volunteer Driver Serves Community
Bob Norin and Passenger Diane Salvo on Bob’s 101st Ride
Sisters is notable for the annual number of volunteer hours donated by committed citizens. One such citizen doing his part to help Sisters be a more livable community is Bob Norin. Sisters Transportation and Rideshare, STARS, is extremely fortunate to have Bob on our volunteer team. Bob completed 101 free, round-trip rides in 2025. He made sure that our passengers could get to their non-emergency medical appointments 101 times. What lies behind Bob’s motivation and commitment to be of service to the community?
In 2007, Bob moved to Sisters with his wife, Kay. In 2020, Kay passed away. Bob shared that, "It took me a while to reestablish myself. A friend in the same situation told me that he was now volunteering as a driver for Meals on Wheels. Something like that sounded right for me. I saw an article about STARS in The Nugget and thought 'I'm going to need that service sometime myself!' so I got started."
As someone living alone, Bob could imagine what it is like when you can no longer drive yourself on your basic and necessary errands. No more running to the store for something you need on the spur of the moment. Perhaps more critically, you cannot drive yourself to the doctor, dentist, physical therapist, counselor, or St. Charles for your lab work. If you do not live with someone who drives, you may fear that you are wearing out the generosity of your neighbors and friends. If you rely solely upon paid transportation at $65-$85, one way, you will quickly stress your budget. So, in 2023, Bob jumped in with both feet and embraced his new mission.
Bob never set a goal to drive 101 rides in 2025. He enjoys the experience, the people he drives, and volunteering for STARS is a nice fit in his schedule. Like all STARS volunteers, he only signs up for the rides that fit his schedule. He is still able to take trips and vacations and when he returns, pick up the number of rides that work for him.
On his 101 trips in 2025, Bob drove a total of 5,848 miles, transporting about 30-40 regular passengers to their appointments in Sisters, Bend, and Redmond. Bob says, "My car is still running, so I guess that's all good. I enjoy doing it, and I get out and meet so many people." Christy Corzine, board chair of STARS, says of Bob's accomplishment, "It's not only a milestone for Bob but also a milestone for STARS." Director of Operations Tom Gonsiewski said what many passengers and those of us at STARS are thinking: "Thank you, Bob, for your commitment to the citizens of Sisters Country!"
STARS salutes all of our many volunteers for the numerous hours of answering our phone and providing rides to the folks of Sisters Country. They know that their passengers and fellow volunteers think that they are providing an amazing service. One of those volunteers just drove his way past an impressive milestone, and all of us at STARS applaud his dedication.
STARS always needs more volunteers. You can learn more about volunteering with us at https://www.starsride.org.
