TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMSFOR FOUR DECADES, JCA'S WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE ELDERBUSES HAVE TRAVERSED THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION, TRANSPORTING OLDER ADULTS WHO CANNOT OR SHOULD NOT DRIVE TO ESSENTIAL DESTINATIONS. FISCAL YEAR 2014 WAS NO EXCEPTION. THIS YEAR, HOWEVER, WE EXPANDED OUR FLEET AND SERVICE AS WE HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO IN YEARS. IN JANUARY, WE BEGAN HELPING SCORES OF OLDER PASSENGERS TRAVEL SAFELY TO AND FROM FIVE MONTGOMERY COUNTY SENIOR CENTERS -- DAMASCUS, HOLIDAY PARK, LONG BRANCH, MARGARET SCHWEINHAUT AND WHITE OAK WHERE THEY PARTICIPATED IN A WIDE RANGE OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND ACCESSED IMPORTANT HEALTH SERVICES, TOO, INCLUDING NUTRITION GUIDANCE, FALLS PREVENTION EDUCATION AND HEALTH SCREENINGS. IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF OPERATION, OUR SHUTTLE BUSES TRAVELED 25,596 MILES AND PROVIDED 8,615 RIDES TO AND FROM THE CENTERS.TO OUR DELIGHT, OUR ROSE AND HAROLD KRAMER CENTER ON TRANSPORTATION WAS ABLE TO HELP MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN OTHER NEW WAYS, TOO. FOR EXAMPLE: WE RAN A DAILY SHUTTLE FOR THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY HOMELESS SHELTER OVERFLOW SITE IN SILVER SPRING, RUNNING IT EVERY DAY AT 6:30 A.M., SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, FROM NOVEMBER THROUGH MARCH REGARDLESS OF WEATHER.THE JCA FLEET GREW TO 13 VEHICLES. IN CELEBRATION, WE DECORATED OUR TWO NEW BUSES WITH COLORFUL PICTURES OF SMILING SENIORS. BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THEM! YET KNOW THAT THE PICTURES ONLY HINT AT OUR PASSENGERS' JOY. "IT'S PARADISE," SAID ONE BUS RIDER TO DESCRIBE TRAVELING IN THE COMMUNITY SHE LOVES WITH FELLOW TRAVELERS WHO HAVE BECOME A SECOND FAMILY.ALL TOLD, OUR BUSES TRAVELED 98,981 MILES THIS YEAR, AND MADE 36,091 PASSENGER TRIPS. THAT TRANSPORTATION IS VALUED AT $1,362,368...AND BY HUGS AND HIGH-FIVES AMONGST THE PASSENGERS AND OUR TRAINED, COMPASSIONATE DRIVERS. BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN OUR BUSES CANNOT SERVE AN OLDER ADULT OR FAMILY CAREGIVER WITH TRANSPORTATION NEEDS? HOW DO VULNERABLE SENIORS FIND SAFE AND AFFORDABLE RIDES? HOW CAN TRANSPORTATION PROVIDERS DO A BETTER JOB OF SERVING OLDER ADULTS? THE ANSWERS LIE IN MOBILITY MANAGEMENT - PLANNING WISELY AND MAKING THE VERY BEST USE OF RESOURCES. THROUGH THE CONNECT-A-RIDE TRANSPORTATION RESOURCE CENTER, JCA HAS BECOME A MOBILITY MANAGEMENT GURU.OUR CONNECT-A-RIDE INFORMATION & MOBILITY SPECIALISTS, EACH OF WHOM IS CERTIFIED BY THE ALLIANCE OF INFORMATION & REFERRAL SERVICES, HELPED 2,608 CLIENTS GET WHERE THEY NEEDED OR WANTED TO GO. WE ALSO OFFERED RIDE SMART WORKSHOPS -- A COMBINATION OF CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION AND REAL-WORLD GROUP EXCURSIONS ON METRO TO EMPOWER SENIORS AND DISABLED ADULTS OF ALL AGES TO USE PUBLIC TRANSIT. WHAT A DELIGHT IT WAS TO PRESENT EACH OF OUR 78 GRADUATES WITH A SENIOR SMARTTRIP CARD!OUR ESCORTED TRANSPORTATION PILOT PROJECT IS NOW IN ITS SECOND YEAR. ITS STAFF ARRANGED AND PAID FOR TRANSPORTATION FOR 125 LOW-INCOME, DISABLED SENIORS, AND EACH MONTH THEY ARRANGED AN AVERAGE OF 50 SPECIALIZED RIDES FOR THOSE WHO OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE BEEN HOMEBOUND, UNABLE TO KEEP THEIR DOCTORS' APPOINTMENTS, REACH THE PHARMACY OR VISIT FRIENDS. OUR VULNERABLE CLIENTS, HOWEVER, RECEIVED FAR MORE THAN TRANSPORT; THEY BENEFITTED FROM HANDS-ON ASSISTANCE GETTING IN AND OUT OF THEIR HOMES AND IN AND OUT OF VEHICLES. THE DRIVER/ESCORTS STAYED WITH THEM WHEN THEY REACHED THEIR DESTINATIONS AND THEN ACCOMPANIED THEM HOME AGAIN. OUR GETTING ALL AROUND THE COUNTY PROJECT WORKED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MONTGOMERY COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE THE AWARENESS OF TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO OLDER ADULTS AND ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES. IT ALSO RECOMMENDED WAYS TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND SERVICES.AND THE TRANSPORTATION PROVIDERS ROUNDTABLE, FOUNDED BY JCA AND LED BY OUR DIRECTOR OF MOBILITY MANAGEMENT, PROVIDED A FORUM THROUGH WHICH TRANSPORTATION PROVIDERS IDENTIFIED NEEDS AND SHARED BEST PRACTICES.IN THE WINGS ARE TWO COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE NUMBER AND QUALITY OF VOLUNTEER-PROVIDED RIDES BY THE SHARING OF BEST PRACTICES, THE USE OF WEB-BASED SCHEDULING SOFTWARE, AND THE COOPERATIVE WORK OF HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AND FUNDERS THAT ARE COMMITTED TO HELPING LOCAL SENIORS AGE WELL. OUR VILLAGERIDES PROGRAM, WHICH WE OPERATE COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE SENIOR CONNECTION, GOT UNDERWAY FOR MONTGOMERY-BASED "VILLAGES" -- NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS CREATED TO HELP THEIR RESIDENTS LIVE WELL AND "AGE IN PLACE." THE NV RIDES PROGRAM, ON THE OTHER HAND, WILL START SERVICE IN FISCAL YEAR 2015. IT WILL ASSIST NOT ONLY VILLAGES, BUT ALSO OTHER VOLUNTEER DRIVER PROGRAMS IN FAIRFAX COUNTY AND NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS. TO THAT END, WE WORKED WITH THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND A DIVERSE CADRE OF OTHER LIKE-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS TO PLAN A PROGRAM THAT MAY BECOME A NATIONALLY REPLICABLE MODEL.

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