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Bus Woes May Strand Seniors: 200,000 Riders Could See Transportation Service Vanish
By Deborah Eisner and Jesse Kawa, Cambridge Chronicle
August 4, 2005
A local transportation service which gave rides to more than 200,000 seniors citizens and disabled people last year is in danger of going under, and many are concerned these same individuals will no longer have a way to get around.
Somerville Cambridge Medford Community Transportation is a service that provides senior and disabled residents throughout the three communities with rides to the doctor's office, grocery store and places such as local senior centers for meals. Riders are asked for small contributions of $1 or $2 each way, depending on the length of the trip.
The organization has been a nonprofit since it opened more than 20 years ago and is now facing serious financial problems.
SCM interim Executive Director Reed Cochran said it has become increasingly difficult to maintain the organization's services over the past few years with the cost of gasoline and auto insurance continuing to rise. She said SCM may have to close if additional funding cannot be found.
"We are really struggling to make our payroll," said Cochran. "Creditors are knocking on our doors. We don't know how much longer we can carry on like this."
The Cambridge Council on Aging has two contracts totaling $86,000 with the company to provide trips to the grocery store and doctors' appointments, according to Director Eileen Ginnetty.
"I certainly hope it does not close down, and we're working with other groups and agencies to try to see that that doesn't happen," she said.
Between 400 and 500 Cambridge residents are served each year under these city contracts, Ginnetty said.
Cochran said as a result of its financial difficulties, SCM is trying to find funding through grants and donations to keep it afloat.
State Rep. Alice Wolf said she and other legislators from the service area are working to secure emergency funding in the supplemental budget.
"The new acting director is trying to straighten some of this out, but it's going to take doing," Wolf said. "We're going to try to do our fair share."
She said state Rep. Paul Donato, D-Medford, recently organized a meeting to discuss the issue. The supplemental budget will likely be voted on in September.
Cochran said if SCM is forced to close, it will leave countless senior and disabled residents throughout Cambridge, Medford and Somerville without a way to get around. She said in severe cases, many would have no choice but to leave their homes and relocate to some sort of nursing home or assisted-living facility.
Cochran said the people who utilize SCM rely on its services and may not be able to keep up the lifestyle they've grown accustomed to without them.
"I was talking with a rider the other day, and she said SCM is a senior's freedom," she said. "They would not be able to go to the doctor or the grocery store. Basically, they would be stuck."
Cochran added SCM has about six to eight weeks to get its finances in order before being forced to close.
"I think it would be terrible if we couldn't have it," said Lucille Council, who lives in the Manning Apartments on Franklin Street. She said she used to use the service regularly.
"I thought it was very nice because we had someone to take us shopping," she said.
SCM had cancelled service to the Manning Apartments because of a lack of demand from residents, according to Nan Donovan, a CASCAP social worker who works at the Manning.
SCM is scheduled to resume service to the Manning Apartments today.
"It's really the only way that seniors can get their own food because they can't afford taxi cabs," Donovan said. "They can't take all the bundles on the busses at least with SCM, they will help you with your groceries."
Medford Council on Aging Executive Director Jessica Flaherty said people can rest assured that if the organization does close, the communities SCM services will do everything they can to ensure people continue to have access to transportation. She said the difficult part about that will be how these individuals will get around while the communities come up with a new method of transportation.
Some Cambridge employees are already helping SCM sift through its finances, Ginnetty said. She said there is no talk of the city taking over the actual transportation of seniors.
"Our goal is that SCM stay with us and be a strong provider. They have been a good provider," she said.
The City Council unanimously passed a resolution asking the city manager to explore options for assisting SCM.
SCM by the numbers
Just how many residents throughout Somerville, Cambridge and Medford use SCM? The following is the number of rides SCM provided last year alone:
200,000 seniors and disabled individuals used the transportation service
108,000 rides to and from adult day-care facilities
32,000 trips to doctors' appointments
20,000 meal deliveries
8,500 rides to and from grocery stores
4,700 trips to daily living and social activities
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