Employment Supports/Asset Building: Transportation

Intercity Transit Village Vans
Olympia, Washington (Thurston)

Type of Agency/Organization Coordinating/Operating the Program:
Other Public Agency

Funding Sources:
Job Access, Reverse Commute & Intercity Transit

Clientele/Population Served:
Low income job seekers and workers

Mission/Goal of the Program:
To provide free, safe, advanced reservation, door-to-door transportation to support low income families transition to economic independence. To provide free work/study and job search coaching to low income job seekers.

Programs/Services Offered:
Free transportation Free Customized Job Skills Training Current work experience as professional drivers Job search coaching

Results and/or Performance Measures:
Over 30,000 trips provided to more than 3000 passengers to find employment or retain current employment. 95% of Customized Job Skills Training participants have found better than minimum wage paying jobs while enrolled in the program.

For more information:
Ann Bridges
Village Vans Coordinator
PO Box 659
Olympia, WA 98507
360-705-5831
abridges@intercitytransit.com

KEYS Auto Loan Program ( Keeping Employment equals Your Success)
Martinez, Ca. (Contra Costa County)

Type of Agency/Organization Coordinating/Operating the Program:
Other Public Agency

Clientele/Population Served:
Active CALWORKS participants in Contra Costa County

Mission/Goal of the Program:
The KEYS Auto Loan Program is intended to provide auto loans to help CalWORKs participants, including those on retention services, to purchase a vehicle. The loan has a maximum dollar amount of $4,000 and a 2-year term. This auto loan program targets those participants for whom an automobile is the only practical means of transportation to employment or training, and who would otherwise not be able to obtain an auto loan.

Programs/Services Offered:
KEYS Auto Loan Program Rides to Success Bus Program Children's Transportation Project Basic Auto Maintenance Class

Results and/or Performance Measures:
To date, 35 loans have been granted to CALWORKS participants in Contra Costa County, with six of these loans being paid in full by the participant. Of these 6,samples of responses on their exit surveys that they are asked to complete are:

The KEYS Auto Loan Program has helped me tremendously, in more ways than one. I no longer need to catch a ride. I can drive my son to school without any problems. I can schedule doctor appointments anytime of day, take my son to the park or movies without asking for a favor, and I no longer have to walk to the grocery store then catch a cab back home. Completing the Loan Program has successfully helped me to build my credit. Its a great program."

2. "The KEYS Program took the time to provide an opportunity for me to get a car and in return positive results have happen in my life

3. "KEYS has enabled me to finish school so I could earn a position as a medical assistant at Kaiser. I am also still employed at Bank of America. With both jobs I was easily able to pay off my KEYS Loan and have since purchased a newer car. Without the KEYS program I am certain I would not have been able to go to school to get my degree while still working full time. I cannot thank everyone enough".

For more information:
Joel Flamand

The Good News Garage
Burlington, VT

Type of Agency/Organization Coordinating/Operating the Program:
Community-based Organization

Clientele/Population Served:
Low-income families

Mission/Goal of the Program:
The mission of the Good News Garage is to promote transportation equity by providing affordable mobility to people in need and to create economic opportunities through job training.

Programs/Services Offered:
The Good News Garage provides donated, reconditioned vehicles to people in need for the cost of repairs. The program also provides entry level apprentice-style mechanic training. The vehicles provided by the Good News Garage help low-income families with transportation to work, medical services, child care, and other daily needs. Through donated vehicles received daily from all over New England, the Good News Garage is able to provide cars to families in poverty and tax write-offs to those that donated. In return for the cost of repairs (avg. $650), program participants receive the donated and refurbished vehicle as a gift. To be eligible for participation, individuals must have a valid Drivers' License and a gross household income that does not exceed 150% of the Federal poverty level.

The Good News Garage also operates a reverse commute project entitled "Road Runner" as well as a car pooling program called CommuteShare.

Results and/or Performance Measures:
The Good News Garage has received national recognition as an innovative program from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD, as well as an Innovation Award from the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Non-Profit Management.

Through evaluation results, the Good News Garage has also learned that participants report that the vehicle they received helped them gain employment, get off welfare, increase income, or keep a job.

For more information:
Please call (802) 864-3667 or 1-800-GIVE-AUTO
Office Address:
1 Main Street Suite 214
Burlington, VT 05401

'Wheels for Work
MD (Anne Arundel)

Type of Agency/Organization Coordinating/Operating the Program:

Funding Sources:
Federal grant

Clientele/Population Served:
TANF recipients

Mission/Goal of the Program:
To help move TANF recipients off welfare and on the road to self-sufficiency

Programs/Services Offered:
The "Wheels for Work" program sells used donated vehicles to welfare recipients at low prices, rangin from $200 to $600 dollars. "Wheels for Work" seeks to save social services money by reducing the amount the department spends on transportation for welfare recipients. Cars from the public and private sector are sold to welfare recipients who, without a car, could not afford cab fare or find bus routes to get to a job.

For more information:
Please contact the Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services
80 West Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 269-4603

The Car Ministry Program
Falls Church, VA (Fairfax)

Type of Agency/Organization Coordinating/Operating the Program:
Community-based Organization

Clientele/Population Served:
Staff members of a local ministry; a missionary; a needy family; an international student; a minister or priest; a single parent; a seminarian

Mission/Goal of the Program:
The Car Ministry is dedicated to recycling cars and trucks to give to needy people and ministries. There is a great need for cars and trucks to ease the transportation burden. The program is dedicated to connecting those that are in need of a car or truck with those that can provide them for free.

Programs/Services Offered:
The 2C8 Car Ministry program accepts donated vehicles, checks their condition, and assesses the need for repairs. Then, the ministry gives the car or truck, at no cost, to someone in serious need, or the program uses the car to further the goal of providing transportation. The program has a long waiting list of people in need.

Results and/or Performance Measures:
To date, the Car Ministy has given over 2000 cars and trucks to needy families and ministries. They are assessed, reconditioned, and given away without charge.

For more information:
If you have a good extra car, please donate it to the Car Ministry.
Call Roger Penn at 703-278-9299

Jobs Access - Residential Transportation Coordinator Program
Seattle, WA (King)

Type of Agency/Organization Coordinating/Operating the Program:
Other Public Agency

Funding Sources:
Community Transportation Association of America/Jobs Access

Clientele/Population Served:
Low-income Residents in Public Housing Authorities

Mission/Goal of the Program:
The Residential Transportation Program identifies residents and staff in Seattle and King County Housing Authority HOPE VI sites and trains them to provide transportation information to residents.

Programs/Services Offered:
Services included: 1) Multi-lingual travel training information to address needs of refugees and new immigrants; 2) Development of the Transportation Options Workshop and Residential Transportation Coordinator Toolkit; 3) Development of the Transportation Resources Index, a website of transportation services for individuals and communities.

Results and/or Performance Measures:
The RTC program was a partnership of agencies based on the block-watch model. The efforts of individual RTCs were monitored for information they provided, such as enrollments in programs such as vanshare, vanpool, ridematch, Working Wheels, or Accessible Service. The RTCs spoke several languages including Vietnamese, Arabic, Amharic, Oromo, Tigregna and Cambodian, making it possible to provide transit and rideshare information to these communities.

For more information:
For more information about this program:
Contact Bob Flor at: bob.flor@metrokc.gov
Contact Colene Baker at: colene.baker@metrokc.gov
Contact Jennifer Hill at: jennifer.hill@metrokc.gov

Domestic Violence Transportation Program
Seattle, WA (King)

Type of Agency/Organization Coordinating/Operating the Program:
Other Public Agency

Funding Sources:
Local

Clientele/Population Served:
Victimes of Domestic Violence

Mission/Goal of the Program:
Provide transportation to victims of domestic violence.

Programs/Services Offered:
The King County Domestic Violence Transportation program helps survivors of domestic violence travel to safety and to shelters. The program also provides transit tickets for victims who need to get to court hearings, support meetings, or medical appointments. Additionally, it provides a van to a community agency that transports victims to support groups.

Results and/or Performance Measures:
The program provides more than 400 annual emergency taxi trips to shelters, health clinics, and advocate agencies. It also provides over $35,000 annually in Human Services bus tickets. The program is a valued partnership between the King County DOT, the King County Community & Human Services Dept, the YWCA, and local domestic violence shelters and agencies.

For more information:
For more information about this program:
Contact Bob Flor @: bob.flor@metrokc.gov
Contact Don Okazaki: don.okazaki@metrokc.gov

Department of Social Services
Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Type of Agency/Organization Coordinating/Operating the Program:

Clientele/Population Served:

Mission/Goal of the Program:

Programs/Services Offered:

Results and/or Performance Measures:
The Anne Arundel County, MD, Department of Social Services is a local office of the Maryland Department of Human Resources. Three years ago, the office changed the culture of welfare --under the AFDC program -- without any State legislation, without any Federal waivers, without additional staff and without an additional allocation of funds. The office operates primarily through a Job Center, open for walk-in service from Monday through Friday and offering customized employment services to any County resident, not just TANF recipients.

The following links provide further information on a number of programs in the Anne Arundel County model program.

• Job Center (PDF - 20K)
• Careers Program (PDF - 10K)
• Transportation Initiatives
• Programs for the Disabled (PDF - 5K)
• Domestic Violence Training (PDF - 5K)

To request additional information, go to the following link: Information Request Form (PDF - 4K)

Traveling Grannies/Grandpas Program
, Michigan

Type of Agency/Organization Coordinating/Operating the Program:

Clientele/Population Served:

Mission/Goal of the Program:

Programs/Services Offered:

Results and/or Performance Measures:
History:

The Traveling Grannies/Grandpas program was founded in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The program began seeking funding in 1992 and the first Traveling Grannie/Grandpas volunteer started serving teens in 1993. Since the inception of the program, 557 at-risk, pregnant, and parenting teens and their children have received in-home mentoring services.

Population Served:

Low-income older adults 60 years and over provide services to at-risk, pregnant and parenting teens and their infants. The Traveling Grannies and Grandpas were also involved with the Family Impact Project through the Grand Rapids/W.K. Kellogg Foundation Family For Kids Initiative. Through this project, 42 children ranging in age from 6 months to 15 year in the foster care/adoption system received hands-on mentoring/companionship.

Services Provided:

Low-income older adults volunteer 20 hours a week and earn a non-taxable stipend of $2.55/ hour along with other tangible benefits. The Traveling Grannies and Grandpas provide the following services which helps at-risk teens gain greater self-sufficiency and improve their well-being and that of their children:

1. Decrease the occurrence of abuse, neglect and exploitation of teens and their children by:
   • Teaching positive parenting techniques
   • Promoting non-violent disciplinary approaches
   • Building self-esteem by focusing on positive actions of teens
   • Deterring additional pregnancies
   • Promote positively life style choices
   • Discouraging the use of alcohol and drugs
   • Deterring gang involvement
   • Promoting continuing their education
   • Seeking gainful employment
2. Demonstration of good health habits:
   • Encouragement to secure pre- and post-natal care
   • Assisting with keeping medical appointments for self and child
   • Instructions on nutritious meal planning and preparation
3. Provide needed transportation:
   • To make applications for job openings
   • To attend job interviews
   • To keep all other necessary appointments.

Partnerships:

The Traveling Grannies/Grandpas Program partners with several community organizations. The following list is a sampling of partnering agencies and is not meant to be all-inclusive: Catholic Social Services, Salvation Army Booth Services, Park School, Spectrum Health, St. Mary's Hospital, Family Independence Agency, Homeless Youth Services, Planned Parenthood, Kent County Health Department, One-Way House, Family Outreach, Arbor Circle/Project Focus, and Hope Community.

Job Opportunity Transportation Program
Ventura, California

Type of Agency/Organization Coordinating/Operating the Program:

Clientele/Population Served:

Mission/Goal of the Program:

Programs/Services Offered:

Results and/or Performance Measures:
The Human Services Agency (HSA) of the Ventura Department of Social Services operates the Job Opportunity Transportation Program, a self-funding program that provides people enrolled in California's welfare program (CalWORKS) with reliable transportation for work. The initiative's primary goal is to assist CalWORKs families in obtaining reliable transportation to maintain employment, get off welfare, and achieve long-term financial self-sufficiency.

The program operates as an auto loan initiative which purchases economy vehicles that fleet operators (such as local government or large private employers) plan to dispose of because of age or high mileage, or because the vehicles are surplus. The vehicle obtained are inspected, and all necessary repairs are completed by a private sector auto repair facility, or by auto repair classes at local community colleges. The vehicles are then sold at minimal cost to pre-screened welfare families to be used as transportation to and from work. The Ventura County Federal Credit Union provides loans to these families to purchase the vehicles.

For More Information:

Jim Becker
Human Services Agency (HSA) of the Ventura Department of Social Services
Phone: 805-652-7835