Onward with hope

Ryland Case wants to be able to go places. He lives in Contoocook with his grandma Lorena, goes to high school, plays lacrosse, works at Market Basket and plans to study automotive technology. He loves fly-fishing on the Connecticut River.

New Hampshire is not a place where you can do many of those things without a car and a license to drive.

Before taking the test for a driver’s license, people under 18 must complete driver’s ed and log 40 hours of driving time with a licensed driver.

Through Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire and Vermont, Ryland has been paired with his “Big Brother” Joe O’Hern for six years. Driving together to help Ryland learn and log his required hours seemed like a natural thing to do.

But regulations and complexities around liability and auto insurance have always meant that Big Brothers Big Sisters had to say “no” to that activity. For many young people the organization serves, their “Big” might be their only option for supervised driving time. The 40-hour requirement posed a real barrier for teens in foster care, those who had been homeless or whose families did not have a car.

So the organization did what nonprofits do: Figured it out. They worked with state officials, delved into complexities of liability law and insurance and collaborated on solutions so their Bigs could help Littles practice driving.

Now, the organization is piloting the “BBBS Keys to Drive” program, with Bigs helping their Littles learn to drive. They are working to expand the program statewide, recruit additional driving mentors and get vehicles that can be used for driving time.

“This is part of this larger continuum of care in helping our kids with upward mobility,” said Stacy Kramer, chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters. “Access to a license and eventually a vehicle can help you have access to a better career, health care and community connections to be successful.”

Mentors will help young people prepare for their drivers’ tests, learn how to pump gas, get a car registered, get oil changed — and more.

For Joe, the time with Ryland in the car is also about connection. When he was teaching his own kids to drive, “they tended to open up more in the car.”

Now, Joe gives gentle instruction as Ryland adjusts the windshield wipers, puts on the turn signal and approaches the proving ground of South Willow Street in Manchester.

Ryland already has his first road trip planned for when he gets his license. “Pittsburg,” he says. “It’ll be fall, and the water’s going to be nice and cold for trout.”