CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO, – Rhodes Convenience Stores, founded in 1956 by U.S. Army veteran Gene Rhodes, has partnered with the Department of Veteran Affairs’ Cape Girardeau Healthcare Center to assist veterans in need with transportation expenses related to their healthcare visits. Veterans using public transportation will have their rides to appointments paid for. Those using personal transportation will receive a Rhodes Convenience Store fuel gift card. Every veteran receiving transportation assistance will also be given a free meal voucher. The meal vouchers can be redeemed at any Rhodes Convenience Store for a fresh meal valued up to $10.
The partnership between Rhodes and the Cape VA Clinic launched in 2023 with a $2,500 donation to cover public and personal transportation expenses along with free meals for veterans in need. The program has been extended into 2024 and is being continued using a $3,600 donation to support a combination of transportation and meal expenses.
On February 23, 2024, Rhodes Convenience Store presented $3,600 in cash and free meal vouchers to assist veterans in need with theirealthcare-related transportation expenses. From left to right: members of Rhodes’ People and Culture Department Justin Rene and Holly Hoback, General Manager (South Mount Auburn Rd.) Christy Dowdy, Director of Operations Sarah Shelton, Assistant Manager (Nash Road) and veteran Doug Hinkle, and Cape VA Clinic Administrator Libby Johnson.
“I had the privilege of serving and getting to know Mr. Rhodes while I managed a Rhodes Convenience Store in Cape Girardeau. He was a strong leader and respectful person like many veterans often are. I believe Mr. Rhodes would be proud that his company is accepting the responsibility to care for local veterans,” said Director of Operations Sarah Shelton.
More than four thousand veterans are currently enrolled with the Cape Girardeau Healthcare Center. Six hundred of those veterans qualify for financial assistance for their transportation expenses. The average transportation cost for each healthcare visit is fifteen dollars, and veterans may visit the center twice a year or up to three times a week depending on their individual needs. An additional ten thousand local veterans are eligible to enroll at the Cape VA Clinic indicating a significant potential for the program to grow.
Rhodes Convenience Stores was established in 1956 and employs more than 600 individuals throughout its 32 Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky locations. As the area’s largest convenience store network, Rhodes provides a vast selection of quality products, excellent customer service and convenient locations, many of which include drive-thru windows, full-scale restaurant menus and 24-hour service. In 2022, Rhodes introduced its proprietary app allowing guests to order ahead, save on fuel and three options to pick up their orders. The app’s roll out further illustrates Rhodes’ continued commitment to delivering convenience to its guests. |