Contributed by Mary Ellen Young
Transportation is a real “road block” for teens and adults qualified to attend trainings and classes in the Valley or Anchorage. Face it, getting around the Valley or to and from Anchorage, requires some financial clout: owning a vehicle, paying for gas, paying car insurance. Mat-Su teens and adults who are striving to improve their lives through education and employment services sometimes walk miles to attend classes, trainings and tests, often in inclement weather. Some are limited to attending only when they can combine the class with other obligations in town, so they won’t have multiple taxi fares. Tuition may be waived, but you have to get there on your own.
In the Mat-Su, a round-trip monthly bus pass to Anchorage is $120.00. Then there’s the expense or man power to get to the destination from the bus stop. What seems like a nominal fee for transportation to those who are working, can be the difference between travel and buying groceries to those who are seeking skills to improve their chances for employment.
If you’d like to help get teens and adults reach their education and employment goals, please contribute at “Get US there Mat-Su” on www.GoFundMe.com. Pay it forward.
