A popular senior transportation program that has provided over 300,000 trips in San Diego County was awarded $1.8 million to help cover two years of operations.
The grant from the San Diego Association of Governments to Jewish Family Service of San Diego helps fund the nonprofit’s On the Go senior transportation program.
On the Go is the largest program of its kind in San Diego County, serving seniors of all faiths and helping them maintain independence and mobility. Services vary from shuttled field trips and group transportation to individual rides to appointments and errands.
“With the number of seniors in San Diego County expected to double by 2030,this grant positions JFS to meet the growing demand for affordable transportation solutions to ensure they remain active, contributing members of our community,” said Jewish Family Service CEO Michael Hopkins.
“Our biggest need now is for volunteer drivers,” he added. “Our volunteers get to choose when and where they drive, and often comment that they find the experience incredibly rewarding.”
The SANDAG grant is made possible by California’s Section 5310 Program, which provides funding to assist private nonprofits in serving the transportation needs of seniors and people with disabilities, and by the local TransNet Senior Mini Grant program, which works to improve mobility for seniors throughout the county.
JFS operates On the Go for Charitable Adult Rides & Services, a San Diego-based nonprofit that processes vehicle donations for over 2,500 nonprofits nationwide, from public broadcasters to hospitals to veterans organizations.