Second of a three-part series

Carpooling is a way of life for Kelley Dreese, of Freeburg, and her family.

With three kids involved in a variety of sports, Dreese often found herself driving to Selinsgrove six times a week to pick up and deliver her young athletes.

With summer coming, and the prospect of her kids attending sports camps in Selinsgrove and Northumberland, Dreese organized a car pool with two other families.

“We had to do it,” she explained. “It was costing us $15 a week for gas.”

The three families will take turns weekly shuttling five youngsters to various games and practices.

“My SUV gets 14 miles per gallon,” she lamented. “We have a car, but we can’t all fit into it.”

Dreese is no stranger to carpooling, she said. For nine years, she carpooled to her job in Harrisburg, working in engineering for Verizon.

“I drove with three state workers,” she said. “One came from Danville, one from Mount Pleasant Mills and one from Shamokin Dam.”

They would meet every morning at the south end of Selinsgrove near the speedway and make the trip to Harrisburg.

Asked how she found her carpool partners, Dreese said it was word of mouth.

“Somebody mentioned to me they knew someone who was looking for a carpool, and I got in touch with them.”

Dreese said it’s very important that carpoolers get along with each other.

“I was in one for a while with a guy that just didn’t fit,” she related. “It was awful.”

Dreese works from home now, but her carpool experience has been useful.