SOUTH TALLAHASSEE, FL — A layoff and a client’s crisis led to the creation of a service helping others navigate life transitions.
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For many seniors, transportation to healthcare can be a major barrier, but Leann Lund is working to change that, turning a simple service into a lifeline.
At the end of last year, Lund started a small laundry business to earn extra income. Around the same time, one of her clients, Jan Terry, suffered a broken leg just as Lund lost her primary job.
Terry needed help relocating from her apartment to her son’s home and getting to medical appointments. Lund stepped in.
“She needed some help getting moved and getting to doctor’s appointments,” Lund said. “As I was learning about what her needs were, I realized there’s a real need for this kind of service in the community.”
What began as a one-time request quickly grew into something more.
Lund launched Helping Hands Big Bend, a service focused on assisting seniors with transportation, organization, and day-to-day needs especially during major life transitions.
“My mission is helping seniors age in place for as long as they possibly can,” Lund said.
That mission has already made a meaningful impact for Terry and others.
“The Helping Hands service has just been a godsend for us,” Terry said. “If I think my kids would have to take off work to help, I don’t call them first I call her.”
Terry says many seniors she’s spoken with face the same challenge: limited access to reliable, trustworthy help. While other transportation services exist, she says they often lack the personal touch.
“Extremely expensive, extremely cold, extremely business-like,” she said. “That’s the difference, Leann is flexible."
After months of working together, Terry says Lund has become more than just a service provider.
“She’s been a friend.”
What started as a single ride has grown into a service meeting a critical need across the region. Helping Hands Big Bend serves seniors in Leon, Gadsden, Jefferson, and Wakulla counties.
Helping Hands Big Bend is currently still accepting seniors for service.
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