‘Miles for Miracles’ in the making

The Pacific Way Institute is developing a new community program called “Miles for Miracles,” which is designed to provide travel assistance for meeting needs related to medical problems.

“The concept is fairly simple,” according to Brian Farley, executive director of the Institute. “There are many travelers, especially government employees, who accumulate ‘frequent traveler’ miles to their personal accounts.”

“There are also many people who need to travel for urgent medical needs, but, for some reason, do not qualify for the medical referral program or there is no source of funding available to them,” he added.

“So, our solution,” according to Dr. John B. Joyner, vice president of PWI, “is to create an up-to-date registry that will list the persons in need of travel assistance and the persons who volunteer to offer part of their ‘frequent traveler’ miles. Then, we try to match them, so the miles offered can be used for helping to bring about miracles.”

Farley said this idea came from personal experience. He has volunteered to provide to a husband and wife – who must travel off-island for major medical surgery – miles he earned while a member of a CNMI government council.

“Earlier, I wrote a request to one airline for assistance to this family, but was turned down. They said they could not accommodate the request at this time.”

For some people, a plane ticket for a medical emergency may be all it takes to work miracles, he added.

He noted that former CNMI administrations had tried to develop procedures whereby miles earned by government employees would be put into a fund for helping CNMI medical referral patients. An airline had said that the accounting was too difficult.

“Because we are a nonprofit, tax-exempt Institute, and because of the current economic situation, we’re looking for a volunteer in our community who has the skills and dedication and is willing work with PWI to get the program up and running, ” he said.

PWI builds programs in the areas of community health, education, awareness, and mediation. It was recently cited by the White House for its interest in President Bush’s “Armies of Compassion Initiative” by the Director of the President’s Domestic Policy Council.

Those persons interested in volunteering to help set up and administer the “Miles for Miracles” program can contact Brian Farley or Dr. John B. Joyner, through email at PWI@vzpacifica.net, by fax to 235-8000, or at Box 5138 CHRB, Saipan MP 96950.