by Denise Massie
Living United
Changing lives in Cass County
The Cass County Transit overall budget:
• $1.1 million.
Funding received from United Way in 2009 for the Cass County Transit program, for elderly and disabled:
• $41,000
Ola Titus sits across from her “right-hand man,” Caleb Roller in a room at the Downtown Senior Center.
Answering the phone, he begins typing into his computer. The same screen appears on Titus’ computer.
She pushes a button on her phone. “Is anyone else about to clear up?” she asks.
A voice comes over the speaker and Titus begins instructing the driver where he needs to make his next three stops.
Titus is the main dispatcher for Cass Area Transit, which receives a portion of its funding from United Way of Cass County. She works on a daily basis with the assistant dispatcher, Roller.
Together, the two take a steady stream of phone calls all day. On average, Cass Area Transit provides service to 800 riders a day.
According to Sue Hoehler, the senior center’s executive director, the service will provide transportation to 200,000 people this year.
With 22 vehicles available for use, Hoehler said the program has come a long way since its start.
Cass Area Transit was started in 1974 by a group of people from Calvary Presbyterian Church.
Hoehler said the group operated two afternoons a week from the church and took seniors to grocery stores and beauty shops.
The program eventually moved into a building on Front Street, where senior lunches began and the transportation expanded. In 1993, the transit service moved into Area Five’s building. It became public in 1997 and was moved to the senior center in 2003.
“I came there in 1989,” Hoehler said. “It has grown significantly since I started. We only had two vehicles when I came.”
Hoehler believes the transportation program is an essential part of the community, especially for senior citizens, the disabled and handicapped.
“It’s very important,” she said. “It allows us to bring senior citizens to the senior center, where they can get involved in many activities.”
Some of those activities seniors include breakfast, lunch, health check-up, flu shots, educational, art and exercise classes, Bible study, and socialization.
The program is also able to provide transportation for medical and recreational needs as well as shopping and trips to the beauty shop, Hoehler said.
Titus added Cass County Transit also takes people to doctor appointments in Kokomo, Indianapolis and Winamac. Drivers have even traveled to the Indianapolis airport.
“We go anywhere in the state of Indiana,” she said.
Sam Piercy, the center’s activities director, believes some people wouldn’t go anywhere if it wasn’t for Cass Area Transit.
“For some, we’re their only source of transportation,” he added.
While Piercy sees a lot of the same people using the service, he said each month many new people begin using the service.
In the last 18 months, the agency added five additional vehicles to its fleet.
With the economy, many people can’t afford to operate their own vehicles, Hoehler explained. She believes this has caused the increased use.
Anyone over the age of 60 has the opportunity to ride the Cass Area Transit for free. Otherwise, the cost is $1 for those needing a ride within city limits and $2 to the county. Two children can ride for free with an adult.
The transit service runs 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Hoehler expects the demand for the program to increase. In fact the demand has grown so much already, she said the services will be expanded into the evening and weekends in 2010.
The United Way funding used to help pay for the service is matched by a grant from INDOT. Hoehler said the match is beneficial to the program and those utilizing it.
“It’s great,” she said. “The United Way has been so supportive of us. They see the worthiness of our program and have been behind us 100 percent.”
• Denise Massie is a staff writer at the Pharos-Tribune. She can be reached at (574) 732-5151 or denise.massie@pharostribune.com
