12 Non-Profits to Provide 26,000 Local Trips Thanks to Van GO
Community Transit has awarded 126 vehicles to organizations since 2000
Snohomish County, Wash. – Twelve non-profit groups from Mountlake Terrace to Stanwood will provide more than 26,000 trips to foster children, the homeless, disabled veterans, low-income residents and more thanks to Community Transit’s Van GO program.
This year, 19 groups submitted applications demonstrating how they would use the vehicles to benefit people in their community. In all, 12 non-profit organizations throughout Snohomish County will be able to provide trips to their community members thanks to retired vanpool vans they received in a competitive grant process from Community Transit.
“This program provides thousands of trips for people in the community who may have a hard time getting where they need to go,” said Community Transit CEO Emmett Heath. “These community organizations really know the needs in their neighborhoods, so if we provide them a vehicle, they can do a lot of good. We are proud to be partners with these community service organizations.”
This year’s Van GO recipients include Catholic Community Services (Lynnwood), Community Resource Foundation (Stanwood), First Baptist Church (Mountlake Terrace), Girl Scout Daisy Troop #50529 (Mountlake Terrace), Goodwill Industries (Everett), Housing Hope (Snohomish County), Mountlake Terrace Senior Center (Mountlake Terrace), Park Ridge Community Church (Bothell), Seattle Area Youth for Christ (Monroe), Senior Services of Snohomish County (Snohomish County), Village Community Services (North Snohomish County) and Young Life Capernaum Snohomish County (Snohomish County).
Employees at the Everett Outlet Goodwill who have trouble getting to and from work now have a better option. “This van will reduce stress to our employees, get them to work on time, and not have to worry about parking,” said Goodwill Everett Outlet General Manager Alex Smith.
Some organizations will now be able to provide transportation to those who can’t transport themselves. “We specifically work with teens that don’t drive. This van will give our kids a chance to go on adventures with their friends,” said Aimee Dunbar of Young Life Capernaum Snohomish County.
Since the Van GO program began in 2000, Community Transit has awarded 126 vehicles to a variety of 501c3 non-profit organizations around Snohomish County. This year’s winners will each receive a seven-passenger van with about 100,000 miles on it. By state law, other Community Transit surplus vehicles are made available through public auction to help recoup the public investment.
2016 Van GO recipients: More information about the Van GO program is online at www.communitytransit.org/VanGo.
Catholic Community Services
Catholic Community Services will use this van to support the residents of its new housing project in Lynnwood, Sebastian Place. With the new van, CCS will provide more than 2,300 safe, convenient and reliable trips for previously homeless and disabled veterans to social, medical and mental health services. Visit their website: Click here
Community Resource Foundation
Community Resource Foundation’s programs foster a healthy community for the Stanwood-Camano area. This van will provide almost 1,300 trips for needed transportation services for adults and teens with disabilities. Visit their website: Click here
Goodwill Industries
Goodwill Industries provides job training for at-risk youth, low-income and homeless individuals. The organization will utilize this van for more than 8,700 trips transporting workers from around the county to the Goodwill worksite on Casino Road. Visit their website: Click here
Housing Hope
Housing Hope’s mission is to promote and provide safe, decent and affordable housing to low income residents. This seven-passenger van will be used to transport clients from Lynnwood, Monroe, Stanwood, and Sultan to the organization’s College of Hope adult life skills training programs providing 945 trips in the next year. Visit their website: Click here
Mountlake Terrace Senior Community Group
Mountlake Terrace Senior Center provides services to the seniors of Mountlake Terrace and the surrounding communities including nutrition programs, health and wellness classes and entertainment. The senior center has partnered with First Baptist Church of Mountlake Terrace and Girl Scout Daisy Troop #50529 for a Van GO van. First Baptist will transport children from a local elementary school to its Wings of Reading Enrichment Program. The Daisy Troop will use the van for monthly community service-focused field trips. Together the three groups will utilize this van to provide almost 2,000 trips over the next year for the Mountlake Terrace community. Visit MLT Senior Center website: Click here
Park Ridge Community Church
Park Ridge Community Church offers early education services to children around the Bothell area of south Snohomish County. This van will be used to provide more than 3,600 trips to children who would otherwise not have access to these programs. Visit their website: Click here
Seattle Area Youth for Christ
Youth for Christ’s mission is to reach high-risk youth and help them grow into academically successful, emotionally healthy and spiritually attuned people who will contribute positively to their communities. The group will use this van for more than 1,900 trips for participants of its City Life program in Monroe which offers friendship, tutoring and life skills assistance. Visit their website: Click here
Senior Services of Snohomish County
Senior Services of Snohomish County promotes independence, preserves dignity and enhances the quality of life through the provision of services for older adults and people with disabilities. Senior Services’ Transportation Assistance Program will use this van to provide more than 2,600 trips to older adults and people with disabilities for medical, employment and recreational purposes. Visit their website: Click here
Village Community Services
Village Community Services will use this van to address the shortage of transportation resources for adults with significant developmental, mental health and physical disabilities in north Snohomish County. The group expects to provide almost 2,200 trips in the next year to the many participants of its residential program. Visit their website: Click here
Young Life Capernaum Snohomish County
Young Life Capernaum creates a secure environment to provide care and support for teens and young adults aged 15-26 with physical or mental disabilities. The group plans to use this seven-passenger van to provide 721 trips to this nurturing program for youth from Edmonds, Everett, Granite Falls, Lake Stevens, Mill Creek and Monroe to help them better navigate the turbulence of their unique adolescence.
Community Transit has been responsible for providing transportation options for Snohomish County residents for 40 years, including bus and paratransit service, vanpool and alternative commute options. Call Community Transit at (425) 353-RIDE or (800) 562-1375 for bus information, or (888) 814-1300 for carpool or vanpool information, or go to www.communitytransit.org. You can also read our blog at www.communitytransit.blogspot.com, visit our Facebook page, follow us @MyCommTrans or @CurbIt_CT on Twitter, or watch us on YouTube.
