Transportation Services

For many of our older neighbors, losing the ability to drive means losing access to critical health care, necessary grocery trips and much-needed social interactions. Additionally, people who live below the poverty level, have Medicaid, or live in rural areas have a more difficult time accessing medical care and healthy food. Through its transportation services, Hearts & Hands increases access to medical care, food, and opportunities for physical and social activity.

Other transportation options are often not appropriate for the older adults we serve. Mobility impairments can make public transportation inaccessible even when it is available – many older adults have difficulty getting to bus stops or boarding busses, especially in the winter. Popular ride hailing services are not always accessible for our community members that lack computer or internet services. These services are also curb-to-curb and do not include the personalized care that our volunteers offer during an escorted trip, such as taking the groceries into the home or providing company in a doctor’s waiting room.

Hearts & Hands has been identified as a best practice agency offering a solution to identified transportation needs, especially in the senior populations. The Hearts & Hands program is noted by the Oishei Foundation’s Mobile Safety Net Community Assessments and is cited in the Human Service Transportation Plan by the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Center.