Age Well Senior Services—a local nonprofit that provides transportation for seniors and disabled residents in South Orange County—has received $510,000 from the California 2023–24 fiscal year budget, which went into effect July 1, according to the San Clemente Times.
State Senator Catherine Blakespear lobbied to get the funding for the nonprofit’s vehicles, according to a press release from her office.
“We are both grateful and honored for the budget approval which was advocated by Senator Blakespear and approved by Governor Newsom,” Steve Moyer, executive chief officer of Age Well Senior Services, said in the July 14 press release.
The nonprofit plans to use the funding to add six hybrid vehicles to its non-emergency transportation fleet, the newspaper reported, which provides over 27,000 trips annually.
With the additional vehicles, trips will increase to around 32,000 annually, according to the newspaper.
The vans will be used to transport the disabled and seniors to and from medical appointments, for prescription pickups, and to assist in dropping off lunches for Meals on Wheels—a national nonprofit that provides food for the disabled and sick who cannot shop and cook meals for themselves.
“These environmentally friendly and cost-effective vehicles will provide over 7,000 trips each year and transport the seniors in our community to vital treatments such as dialysis, chemotherapy, and other medical appointments which will allow them to age with dignity and independence,” Mr. Moyer said in the press release.
Mr. Moyer additionally told the San Clemente Times that many of their clients don’t have access to transportation, and the door-to-door service is a necessity for the growing population of seniors in South Orange County.
“I don’t know what these individuals would be able to do without this [service],” he was quoted in the news article. “[It] is a safety net in their life, and we recognize that.”
Mr. Moyer also said the new vans will be used to “build back our capacity” after some older vehicles were retired.
The nonprofit currently has 22 vehicles. The new six should be part of the fleet by the end of the year.
“The other thing that’s really important about this is that these will be our first vans that are really environmentally sensitive, which we’re very excited about,” Mr. Moyer told the newspaper, adding that such will save money due to their fuel efficiency.
