The funds helped support the purchase of three new passenger vans and hiring drivers for over 4,000 additional rides.
ROANOKE, Va. (September 2023) – The Local Office on Aging was recently granted $440,000 through the Virginia Senate Southwest & Southside Appropriations Bill to support transportation services with a more environmentally sustainable model that will allow for expanded access to help seniors continue to live independently in Roanoke. The funds helped support the purchase of three new passenger vans serving the city of Roanoke, Roanoke County, Craig County, and for the first time, Botetourt County.
The initiative was pushed through by U.S. senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, allowing advanced support to seniors with critical transportation needs, including non-emergency medical transportation such as rides to doctors’ visits, pharmacies, and grocery stores. These new services were successfully implemented in August 2023, helping to reduce and possibly eliminate what is currently a 96-person waiting list for vital services.
LOA President & CEO Ron Boyd says his staff has been working tirelessly over the last two years to expand their transportation services after the pandemic and rising inflation drastically reduced their capabilities.
“This is a game changer for our communities, especially Botetourt County residents who are now able to utilize these transportation resources from LOA. I am ecstatic and immensely grateful to Senators Warner & Kaine for their sponsorship,” says Boyd. “Providing more transportation options to seniors leads to healthier lives, addressing the detrimental effects of the social determinants of health, and allowing LOA to fulfill its mission of helping older persons to remain independent for as long as possible.”
The expanded program added an additional 1278 new rides for non-emergency medical transportation and 3,000 more one-way trips for vital services transportation.
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About Local Office on Aging
Local Office on Aging (LOA) is a non-profit organization serving Alleghany, Botetourt, Craig, and Roanoke counties, as well as the cities of Covington, Roanoke, and Salem. Our mission is to help older persons remain independent for as long as possible in their chosen environment. Through 30 community-based services, the LOA effectively carries out its mission by providing nutrition, education, advocacy, and socialization. The LOA is a 501(c)(3) agency. Learn more at www.loaa.org.