MEOC Transit News

SERVING LEE, WISE AND SCOTT
COUNTIES, AND THE CITY OF NORTON IN SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA

Mountain Empire Transit

Announces Saturday Service Now Available

Mountain Empire Transit, a service of Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc., is pleased to announce it will now be offering Saturday transportation service for all the citizens of Lee, Scott and Wise Counties and the city of Norton. This new service is made possible by a grant from the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD) through the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) and is open to the public.

Mountain Empire Transit provides public transportation services to people of all ages Monday through Friday; however, the requests for Saturday service have increased throughout the years.

"This service would not be possible without the cooperation from numerous partners including the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, DARS and the VBPD" stated Michael K. Wampler, MEOC Executive Director. "In addition, Frontier Health, Family Preservation Services and Creative Family Solutions are providing assistance by coordinating services for individuals with developmental disabilities, the primary audience for the grant."

Mitch Elliott, Mountain Empire Transit Director, stated the Mountain Empire Regional Advisory Committee recently completed a survey with 80% of the respondents indicating a strong need for Saturday services.

"We are pleased to be able to offer this service for the citizens of our area," Elliott said. "We have already been receiving calls from people who have taken advantage of the service thanking us for helping them get out of their house on the weekend."

Saturday services officially began on Saturday, November 17th and the demand has steadily increased. Elliott expects the demand to continue to rise as more people become aware of the service. "We currently have one bus operating in each county for Saturday Service and as the demand continues to rise, there is always a possibility we could add additional buses in the future."

Saturday service hours will be between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. excluding holidays. Charges are .75 cents per boarding for persons age 60+ and under 18; $1.50 per boarding for all others.

Please call 276.523.RIDE (7433) or toll-free 1.888.877.6748 for more information or to make a reservation. a 24-hour notice is required for reservations.

Mountain Empire Older Citizens Inc.

Receives STAR Award for Excellence

Award includes $5,000 for Senior Transportation Services

On August 20, 2009, the Beverly Foundation announced its STAR Awards for Senior Transportation Services. The award program recognizes exceptional service in providing transportation to older adults. One of the Foundation’s prestigious STAR Special Recognition Awards was given to Mountain Empire Older Citizens Inc. The STAR Award recognizes the employment of a mobility manager, the development of a volunteer driver program and MEOC’s commitment to developing and maintaining a seamless and coordinated transportation system for all ages.

The mobility manager, funded by the Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s New Freedom Initiative, has the charge of developing a volunteer policy manual, coordinating medical appointments, and grouping trips for maximum efficiency and economy.

Foundation president Helen Kerschner said: “Our STAR Awards recognize ‘the best of the best’ organizations that provide transportation to older adults. This year we received 450 applications for awards. We congratulate Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc. for making an enormous contribution to seniors, their families.”

"This recognition of Mountain Empire Transit comes on the heels of U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood's award in March 2009 to Mountain Empire Older Citizens of the 2008 United We Ride Leadership Award "in recognition of effective public transit human services transportation coordination, planning and implementation." MEOC's Transit Department continues to seek better and more creative ways to serve the citizens of far southwest Virginia, never idly sitting by satisfied with the status quo. Much of what we do at MEOC would be impossible without a strong integrated and coordinated public and health and human services transportation program. For example, we would never have developed MEOC's Adult Day Health Care Centers, Alzheimer's Community Group Respite Centers and Mountain Empire PACE, our newest community based long term care service, without already having Mountain Empire Transit in place. It just would have been too huge a financial and programmatic barrier to do so", said MEOC Executive Director Marilyn Pace Maxwell.

"MEOC Transit will soon be launching its Volunteer Driver Program, another example of leadership in developing a program designed to find ways to address unique and specialized mobility problems of individuals presently without needed transportation", she added.

Delegate Kilgore, Nicky Fleenor, Mobility Manager (center) Marilyn Maxwell, MEOC Executive Director

PRESS RELEASE

Mountain Empire Older Citizens received a Commendation from the House of Delegates on August 28, 2009 offering congratulations for its recent Beverly Foundation Senior Transportation Service Award. This award recognizes the employment of a mobility manager, the development of a volunteer driver program and MEOC’s commitment to developing and maintaining a seamless and coordinated transportation system for all ages. Delegate Terry Kilgore (left) presented the Commendation to Mobility Manager Nicky Fleenor (middle) and Executive Director Marilyn Pace Maxwell (right) on September 15, 2009 at MEOC’s offices in Big Stone Gap. Maxwell stated, “We are thankful that Delegate Kilgore and the Virginia House of Delegates continue to recognize and support the work and mission of MEOC and those we serve. We were very pleased to receive the Beverly Foundation’s Star Award, one of only 10 programs honored nationally. The General Assembly’s acknowledgement of this achievement is deeply appreciated by MEOC”.

MEOC’s Volunteer Driver Program, funded by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation’s New Freedom Initiative, seeks volunteer drivers who are at least 21 years of age to provide transportation to consumers in the Lee, Scott and Wise County area. MEOC will accommodate volunteer drivers by providing them with a flexible schedule, use of an agency vehicle and training.

New Volunteers Diana Vloomer (left) and Carol Huffman (right).
Nicky Fleenor, Mobility Manager (center)

If you are interested in volunteering with the Volunteer Driver Program, please call Nicky Fleenor, Mobility Manager at (276) 523-7433 for more information.

Read and comment on the MERTAC Regional
Transportation Vision HERE.