United Way’s Ride United program is helping Martin County residents keep getting to work, medical care and other essential destinations after significant and unexpected cuts to Community Coach service.
For most of us, getting to work, a doctor’s appointment or the grocery store is something we rarely think twice about. But for many Martin County residents, especially seniors and individuals living with disabilities, transportation is far more than a convenience. It can be the difference between keeping a job or losing one. Receiving medical care or missing it. Remaining independent or becoming isolated.
On June 30, that lifeline was suddenly put at risk. Two state-funded grants that supported the Martin Community Coach transportation program ended unexpectedly without replacement.
Prior to the funding loss, eligible riders — including adults 65 and older, individuals with disabilities and adults living below the federal poverty level with no other means of transportation — could use Community Coach to travel to and from a variety of destinations as frequently as needed. Almost overnight, those riders were limited to just two round trips per month, leaving them with impossible choices: miss work, delay critical medical treatments, cancel therapy appointments or absorb transportation costs they simply could not afford.
That reality became painfully clear one morning for Henry and his family. Henry works three days a week at Home Depot, where he takes great pride in his job. Because he cannot drive, he relied on the Martin Community Coach to get him to and from work. One morning, Henry waited outside for his ride like he always did. But this time, it never came. While Henry assumed the van was simply running late, his mother frantically searched for a solution.
And Henry wasn’t alone. As news of the funding loss and sudden service reductions spread, calls for help began flooding into United Way from residents and families scrambling to find alternatives. Within hours, United Way began coordinating rides through Ride United.
The gap has only grown since. The two monthly round trips were cut to one. As of August 10, Community Coach rides are limited to Martin County residents age 70 and older traveling to medical appointments only.
Provided by United Way of Martin County. Read the full story and find ride assistance at unitedwaymartin.org. Photo: Unsplash.
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