New Transportation Center Eyed To Help Veterans
 Mayor Daniel Bianchi, left, BRTA Administrator Bob Malnati, Soldier On President Gary Shepard and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal cut the ribbon on the new call center. |
"We know about half of our missed appointments are due to lack of transportation. This is a huge need and a huge gap," says Duane Gill of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Veterans and their families continually struggle getting to medical appointments, jobs, or school. Some 50,000 veterans across the country are homeless.
Tags: Berkshire Regional Transportation Authority, Congress, intermodal center, Neal, Soldier On, state officials, transportation, veterans, veterans affairs,
"Those folks are at risk or near risk. Transportation is recognized as a means to help them. It is a value component in uplifting them and their quality of life," said Soldier On President Gary Shepard said.
On Friday, a partnership between the federal and state government, the nonprofit Soldier On, veterans offices and the Berkshire Regional Transportation Authority started something new. Soldier On is using a $2 million grant to open up a call center staffed by veterans and will coordinate any transportation needs for area veterans — whether it is going to Leeds or Albany, N.Y., or just downtown.
"What we are celebrating here is the commitment to veterans' success. Driving veterans to not only medical appointments but any of their other needs is the success we are celebrating today," said Massachusetts Veterans Services Secretary Francisco Urena.
The call center at the Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center opened on Friday and will be staffed from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on weekdays by former homeless veterans. It is the first of its kind and officials say it could be replicated across the nation.
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, said Soldier On was given the funding because of a reputation it built on service for veterans. That led Congress to award the grant.
"Soldier On has an open door across Washington because of the reputation they earned," Neal said. "They have instant credibility so why not experiment where they were founded."
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren sent a certificate commemorating the occasion, which was read by her representative Everett Handford.
Soldier On will not only staff the call center but its vehicles will be used for trips. Center staff will handle dispatching and crafting the routes to fit each family. The model is particularly cited for its usefulness in rural areas like the Berkshires where there is a lack of public transportation.
State Sen. Benjamin Downing, D-Pittsfield, said the model helps to "break down transportation barriers." The senator said too often transportation becomes a "deal breaker" in servicing veterans and he is "thrilled to see Soldier On, with support from the federal government, bring this model to the Berkshires."
Mayor Daniel Bianchi echoed his sentiments.
"It is critical that we have a very good, well-running transportation system," Bianchi said. "I think we are going to be addressing critical needs of our veterans."
Sean Sullivan from the U.S. Department of Transportation said his organization focuses a lot on veterans by supporting expansion of transportation systems to serve military families, targeting outreach campaigns to help veterans, and providing technical assistance to communities in trying to find ways to serve the transportation needs of veterans.
The department provided the $2 million grant through the Federal Transit Administration's Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative
Tags: Berkshire Regional Transportation Authority, Congress, intermodal center, Neal, Soldier On, state officials, transportation, veterans, veterans affairs,
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