By Nancy Bowman
The Rides to Work program has been helping those who need a hand getting to work in Troy and Tipp City since 2013.
The nonprofit organization is a program of the Miami County Continuum of Care, an organization of more than 30 agencies that collaborate to address the needs of homeless and lower income people in the county.
Since its beginning, the service has provided more than 36,000 rides to more than 1,000 individuals, said Jim Taylor, Rides to Work program director. In 2020, 1,149 of those rides were to Tipp City area residents.
The program expects to celebrate its 40,000th ride in coming weeks and will be expanding the hours of available rides.
Among those helping fund the program are the Tipp City Foundation, which granted the program $2,500 last year, and The Troy Foundation.
Recently, the city of Troy awarded the program a $45,000 check from its American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA funds, to help increase the number of rides as well as hours of service. The contribution also will allow for hiring an executive director to expand program awareness, raise more funds and work with Troy and Tipp City businesses to connect potential employees to employers.
Rides to Work today has three vans, four drivers and a program coordinator. Among employer destinations in Tipp City are Meijer and Trophy Nut.
Transportation has been identified for years as among the top needs in Troy and beyond – along with childcare and housing.
Rides to Work transportation is available Monday through Friday and accommodates rides to all three work shifts, Taylor said.
These rides are free until the rider receives their first paycheck. A $1 fee per ride then is charged for the next two weeks and $2 per ride starting in the third week.
The nominal fee is charged to encourage accountability and responsibility of clients.
The cost of providing rides is hard to compare with the long-term benefits to an individual, and beyond, Taylor said.
“What you don’t see is what it means to the family, the community,” he said. ”We have gotten letters saying how it makes a difference.”
“Few grants could have been more timely than our support for the Ride to Work program,” said Dr. Jim Ranft of the Tipp City Foundation. “This program helps hard working people remain in the work force at a time when employees are in high demand. We are fortunate the Miami County Continuum of Care fills this need.”
For more information on Rides to Work contact Taylor at 937-335-0448 extension 103.