Everybody Rides Metro

A foundation to improve sustainable lifestyles for the Cincinnati community through Metro. Everybody Rides Metro (ERM) is the first foundation in the nation to be formed by a regional transit authority.

Providing reliable transportation to help those in need connect to jobs, schools, healthcare, and vital human services.

Fri., Feb. 5, 2010

Stories from Project Connect

During the school year we are providing tokens to get kids to and from school. The children we work with are experiencing homelessness and they move 7-8 times each school year. Tokens are often the only way that we can keep them stable in school during those times. It takes up to two weeks to reroute a yellow bus if there is one available. We feel education is the key to breaking the cycle of homelessness and poverty and transportation is the number one barrier to school for most homeless families.

In September we worked with a mom and her 3 children who attend Hays Elementary. They have been experiencing homelessness for over six months, moving from family to friends’ places. Mom finally found affordable housing in Price Hill and the kids, especially the 13 year old, were so anxious and mad at their mom convinced they would have to change schools. Project Connect provided Metro tokens for two weeks until a yellow bus could be rerouted to bring them to school each day. The kids are happy in their new home and so pleased that they did not have to leave their friends and teachers. Without the tokens, the students would have had to start all over in a new school, immediately putting them about 2 months behind academically.

View our 2-minute video on YouTube:

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