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https://www.425magazine.com/wellness/homage-lynnwood-transportation-assistance-program/article_478fd242-63fb-11ef-b0cb-0f10ef8c9279.html

Homage Wants to Get People Out of the House and Back Into the Community
Sarah McCarthy Aug 26, 2024 Updated 16 hrs ago

TAP rider Jon Howe with his husband, Alan Gossett.

All imagery courtesy of Homage
It isn't controversial to agree that being stuck at home doesn't do much
to enhance our quality of life. Humans are a social species; there are
not enough sourdough recipes or Zoom meetings in the world to make up
for spending time with loved ones face to face.

For some, getting out of the house might be as simple as getting into a
car or walking down the street to their local bus stop. But for many
Snohomish County residents, transportation access isn't always so
straightforward.

Lynnwood nonprofit Homage is working to address that issue, and, thanks
to a recent $418,000 donation from the Washington State Department of
Transportation and private donations, the organization's Transportation
Assistance Program will be able to expand its services, allowing more
people to get out of the house and get back into the community.

Founded in 1974, Homage is a 501c3 nonprofit and is the largest provider
of mental-health, food, transportation, home-repair, and
care-coordination services to older low-income adults and people with
disabilities living in Snohomish County.

With 70% of its funding coming from government grants, Homage relies on
finite resources to get it through every grant cycle. However, after
receiving a grant for a pilot program that increased transportation
services in the county, Homage found itself running out of money
following a surge in ridership.

TAP Ride Jon Howe Prepares for a Ride 2.jpg
Howe prepares for a ride.

Juli Rose, Homage's senior director of government-funded programs,
attributes the increase in riders to the growing cost of living in urban
areas.

"As living in cities becomes more expensive, people will move to the
outskirts where public transportation doesn't travel," she said recently.

The organization was staring down the barrel of cutting amenities to a
program it had just expanded, reducing the number of riders and allowing
rides for only medical appointments and employment.

When one of the program's users, Alan Gossett, tried to secure
disability-accessible transportation for his husband, Jon Howe, this
spring, Homage was unable to accept him due to budget cuts — something
that would have resulted in Howe being essentially trapped at home until
late 2025.

Gossett took it upon himself to write a letter to the Department of
Transportation and raise awareness in the community about the importance
of transportation accessibility. Aided by Gossett's and Howe's advocacy
in addition to an uptick in public support, Homage was able to secure
the finances TAP needed for the coming year. Funds went into effect on
June 1.

TAP Rider Jon Howe Prepares for a Ride.jpg
Howe using TAP.

The extra money allocated will provide more than 8,700 rides over the
next year. TAP can now also offer rides on Saturdays and take riders on
shopping excursions and social visits. For Rose, the expansion of TAP
"means people don't have to just sit in their homes and wait for a
doctor's appointment to qualify for a ride. It's about quality of life."

Mike Gantala, a TAP rider for the last 20 years, credits the program for
helping him be independent.

"I don't have to rely on my parents," he said of the program. "Without
TAP, I would be housebound."

Loss of transportation would not only deprive Gantala of his access to
the community, but also rob the community of Gantala's services. He uses
TAP to get to his workplaces — one of which is at Sky Valley Food Bank,
which provides food for 1,300 families in the Monroe area. The people
Gantala works for depend on him the same way he depends on Homage.

"I would not be able to do all the stuff in the community like I do
now," he said.

TAP Rider Mike Gantala.jpg
TAP rider Mike Gantala.

While Gantala is pleased about the additional transportation funding,
he's still worried about the future and whether TAP will be able to meet
growing demands and continue to receive sufficient government grants.

Rose shared a similar anxiety not only about TAP, but for Homage's other
programs, too. The number of people who receive the organization’s
mental-health services, for instance, is expected to double this year,
and the waitlist for Meals on Wheels and minor home repairs comprises
more than 100 people.

"As a nonprofit, we find that demand always exceeds the funding," Rose said.

Despite limited resources, Rose said that Homage's commitment to serve
Snohomish County won't change — and neither will its desire to empower
users with improved quality of life and independence.

To see if you qualify for TAP rides, call (425) 423-8517.

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