Transportation is crucial in order to live in our Rural Communities

Jesse is a 79-year-old disabled veteran living on a hillside in Republic. His only mode of personal transportation is a scooter, which he rides into town when the weather’s nice to places like the pharmacy or the local library. It’s getting home that can be complicated- and that’s where Rural Resources comes in.

Rural Resources provides on-demand access and mobility to dozens, even hundreds of seniors and others with special transportation needs, like Jesse, throughout Stevens, Pend Oreille, and Ferry counties. And like all of our grantees, Rural Resources relies a great deal on the support WSDOT provides. It’s because of our support that Rural Resources’ volunteer drivers are able transport community members to jobs, medical appointments, the grocery store, and most everywhere they need to go.

As with all of our grantees, time is a valuable commodity. Anything we can do to help them save time means they’ll have more of it to spend on outreach, recruiting volunteer drivers, and scheduling services. Once the new GMS comes on line, it’ll give our grantees the time they need to focus on what matters most: helping the people in their communities.

As for Jesse, with Rural Resources on his side, he doesn’t have to worry about getting back up the hill on his scooter. They are there to get him home. Rural Resources empowers people like Jesse to live more independent lives, while also providing peace of mind. GMS will enable our partners to help more people just like him.

Thanks to Connie Mahugh of Rural Resources for sharing her story and thanks to Jef Lucero for writing it.