When even public transportation fares seem out of reach, who fills the gap? People in dire poverty still need to get themselves and their children to school, work, and appointments.
“My day to day was walking,” says Adrian Stanley, president of Getting Ahead Transport. “I had a 2- and a 3-year-old. I bought a double stroller for $50 and I walked.”
Getting Ahead Transport (GAT) in Panama City, Florida, is a nonprofit organization that will fill the transportation gap in Panama City and surrounding Bay County, with plans for later expansion.
Offering round-the-clock transportation services to and from job sites, workforce centers, and educational institutions, GAT requires only that riders meet eligibility guidelines. They must be enrolled in a government-funded program (like Medicaid, for example), and/or their income must fall below the Department of Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines.
GAT’s brochure highlights the differences between a 15-minute drive and a 90-minute commute that begins and ends with several blocks’ walk. With more than 11,000 citizens of Bay County in poverty, GAT doesn’t want to see anyone turn down a good job because they lack transportation. Click here to read more in the GAT brochure.
