We welcome Sue to our Shuttle program. When I met Sue yesterday I was impressed.  She has overcome so many obstacles in her life but still has a positive attitude.  Sue is a very spunky woman who wants and needs to work. She got a good job but transportation to and from work is eating up her earnings. Since her workplace is not serviced by CENTRO at her work hours. she has had to use Lyft but it costs too much for her to continue using it. Lucky for Sue , a co-worker told her about our SHUTTLE TO WORK program and we signed her up. Having safe, reliable and affordable transportation to and from work will give her peace of mind now.

This is another person being helped to keep a job by affordable transportation. Let's wish Sue the best wishes as she begins this new chapter of her work experience.

We believe everyone who wants a job should have transportation to accept and keep it. Often  times , the cost is quite small to help someone. A Donation of $30 , could pay for a Shuttle.

If 4000 people in the City got employment even at $10 per hour, it would provide $80 Million in new spending in our City. That is a large benefit to the City. Often, new low skilled workers start at $10 per hour but 2-6 months later they are making over $13 per hour. Imagine what Syracuse would be like with 4000 people stimulating the economy with $80 million -$108 Million a year.

We ask your support for our efforts to increase employment. We ask your support financially,  by donating to our Non Profit. Please share our Mission with your friends.

The ultimate goal of our Shuttle To Work program  is to give our riders enough time on the job to become transportation self-sufficient. It is with great joy that Herman now has a car after 5 months of saving and working hard. Beginning today, he no longer needs our help and in fact is transporting another co-worker to work.

From the beginning Herman was very appreciative of the opportunity to have reliable transportation so he could keep and excel at his job. His optimism and hard work sets him up for advancement at his company. This one thing, Transportation to Work, has made the difference.

There are 3370 more Syracuse residents who need the same chance. Don't they deserve the same opportunity to leave poverty through their hard work? Just a little help with Transportation made the difference.

We  embarked on this Mission to help people overcome transportation barriers to employment, after a Board member , related how a similar program years ago  had a huge impact in helping New Americans get jobs and enabled them to thrive. We see the same thing happening now.

If you know of a Company that has difficulty getting and keeping workers due to transportation barriers, have them contact us. We want to help Companies and potential workers to thrive to make Syracuse a City of opportunity  for all its residents.

Join us change people's lives with a donation to our Nonprofit. Our success is due to people like you, since the government does not support us.

BELIEVE IN SYRACUSE !

We have reached our 70th rider in less than a year since we began the Shuttle To Work program.

We welcome Alandra a Syracuse native who graduated college and got her first business job in East Syracuse.  Without a car or bus service she was trying to get to work spending 35% of her pre-tax salary . A co-worker who used our Shuttle told her about our program and we signed her up.  What is interesting is that she was developing a business plan to help people get transportation to work as a Project in College..  We are exciting to have her on our Shuttle and we hope we can give her a good start in her working career. 

Often times people think if someone goes to college they make big salaries immediately. Actually, that is often not the case. Many start at $12-15/hr. The number of people needing transportation help to get or keep a job is significant. If we want people to thrive and be self supporting, they often need transportation. 

Partner with us to help Syracuse residents get and keep jobs, you can donate on our website or host a gathering of friends or co-workers and we will visit with you and share more about our Mission and how you can help.

Syracuse has 4300 people in poverty. With the 70 we have helped , only 4230 to go... 

Over the last few weeks we have been contacted by other community leaders across the Country interested in finding solutions for their residents who cannot accept jobs because of the lack of transportation.  

It is heartening to find other Grass Root efforts to find solutions to this terrible problem. The image of poverty is so misleading. Yes there are difficult issues in neighborhoods burdened by poverty. There are a lot of issues to address. However, if at the end of the day the individual cannot have a job because of fixable  transportation barriers , it only breeds despair and hopelessness. Those mindsets do not allow a Community to have a  of a good quality of life no matter how many buildings are rehabbed or bike lanes that are painted on the road. Rather, all of us must rise, TOGETHER.  The strong must reach out to the weak. We cannot continue to leave people behind by blocking the one thing that can change their life...A Job!  To get a job, most people in poverty must have affordable, accessible transportation.  

Below is my Letter to the Editor of the Wall st Journal about the reality of poverty:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/food-stamp-millionaires-are-hardly-typical-1517248529?mod=ITP_opinion_1&tesla=y

Food-Stamp Millionaires Are Hardly Typical

The people Ms. Rasmussen writes about who receive food stamps but have wealth are unique.

Jan. 29, 2018 12:55 p.m. ET

24 COMMENTS

Kristina Rasmussen’s very misleading “How Millionaires Collect Food Stamps” (Jan. 16) purports to suggest it is easy to get food stamps.

I find people want to work but lack transportation to get to jobs, and the government isn’t providing the necessary transportation support. We are trying to fill the gap with no government support and limited funding. With a small amount of funding we could help 1,000 people get jobs and off assistance. A family of three, two disabled parents with a teen son, lives on $1,400 a month in disability checks. Although they are well below the poverty line, they don’t qualify for food stamps. I have met others even worse off. Food pantries only provide one bag of groceries a month, enough food for one to two days. The people Ms. Rasmussen writes about who receive food stamps but have wealth are unique. Clearly the average family who is in need is hardly getting by.

It is time to correct the system and make it compassionate and accountable. Eliminate the waste in the administration and help those who really need it.

Deborah Hundley

Providence Services of Syracuse Inc.

Syracuse, N.Y.

Today is the first day that Natasha will have a car to drive to work.  She is a hard working Mom who has had barriers to transportation to work. Our organization provided a Shuttle to Work for her and it allowed her to keep a job and excel. She wants to provide a good life for her children and also wanted to get her license for Cosmetology so she can supplement her current job but again transportation was a barrier.

This week David contacted us after listening to a WAER radio program and wanted to help someone by buying a car. This person must help others with rides to work and complete her studies so she can leave poverty. With tears of joy, she met David and picked up her car.

Having a car can transform a person's life outcome. The Bus system routes limits employment opportunities for thousands of Syracuse residents desiring to leave poverty.

Our Shuttle To Work program has helped 69 people since April 2017. We have not received any government monies so far although a SMTC Transportation Study recommended "Invest In Providence".  Foundations and donors  have enabled us to provide help.

If you Believe In Syracuse , let us make it work for all of our neighbors

Please help another person get a job by joining our Shuttle. Your money goes 100% to transporting low income people to jobs.

Donate online or mail a check to our office: Providence Services of Syracuse Inc, 1201 East Fayette St  , Suite 13, Syracuse, NY 13210

We have helped 67 people get or keep a full-time job since April 2017. Our initial goal was 40 people over 12 months. We believe this is a fixable problem. Our multi-year goal is helping 1000 City residents get or keep jobs by providing transportation. It may take several years, but imagine the vitality Syracuse would experience with 1000 people working and improving their lives. The jobs are there, there are more than 1000 people seeking employment, the impediment is transportation.

Listen to this study and help us begin helping people get full-time jobs... only 933 to go. If you believe employment of 1000 people is worthwhile, partner with us by DONATING ONLINE OR MAIL A CHECK TO: PROVIDENCE SERVICES OF SYRACUSE INC,1201 EAST FAYETTE ST, SUITE 13, SYRACUSE, NY 13210   . Be part of the solution...

WAER Radio did a study on Poverty in the City of Syracuse.  Below is Episode 7 which focuses on the Transportation issues residents have getting to and from work. Listen to learn from people who live this transportation barrier and how Providence Services has been part of the solution. 

http://citylimitsproject.org/episodes/ride-sharing-solution

We welcome Charlie to the Shuttle To Work program. He is #66 since April helped to get employment.  He started a full time job a couple days ago in East Syracuse but the bus could not get him all the way to work. During the big snow, he was dropped off from the bus and had to walk several hours to get to work. Getting home was a another story. Luckily a co-worker mentioned the Shuttle and we signed him up.  He is so relieved now he can get to work on time without putting himself at risk.  He acknowledged that transportation is a big obstacle for him and many others in the City. He is a Dad and needs to work to provide for his family. With a little help from us, he can go to work, be safe and provide for his family.

Thousands need this help . Can you help 1 person get transportation?  It is a wonderful feeling to know a Mom or Dad can provide for their family with a full-time job because of your help. Please share our Mission with others. Donate and support us so we can help others. Everyone should be able to get a job. Together we can make it happen.

Watch us on Facebook

Brittany is a resilient young woman who wants a better life. She is handling caring for a sick parent and working full time. She loves her job and the potential advancement opportunities, but  transportation is always a concern.

She works in East Syracuse and there are no buses available to get her to and from work. The cost of cabs or Uber is so high she would spend her paycheck just to work. She heard of our program from a co-worker and was excited to be approved.  Her last car had a bad transmission but she is hopeful she can save for another car. We welcome Brittany to our SHUTTLE TO WORK program and look forward to helping her save for a car and advance in her new career.

SHARE BRITTANY'S STORY WITH YOUR FRIENDS !

HELP US HELP OTHER BRITTANYS BY DONATING TO OUR PROGRAM. WE TURN AWAY 10 PEOPLE FOR EACH ONE WE ACCEPT DUE TO LIMITED FUNDING. YOUR DONATION CAN GIVE ANOTHER NEIGHBOR A CHANCE TO GAIN EMPLOYMENT.

I received an email from Dustin this afternoon. He has accepted a new job in East Syracuse but the people who have been driving him are unavailable. The same thing happened yesterday and he missed work. 

I drove to him home in the Syracuse and he was stressed out about losing his job for absences, He was paying $30 FOR UBER to take him to work but he has no more money until he gets payed this weekend.

We signed him up and found out his co-worker uses our Shuttle. Tonight, Dustin can now tell his supervisor he has reliable transportation...another job saved.

As we begin this year, we want to help more people get or keep their job. We are working everyday to help people get out of poverty and be self-sufficient. A job is the ticket out of poverty.

We want to thank the Foundations and donors who helped us financially make this happen. This is the 63rd person we have helped since April 2017. With your continued support we look forward to reaching 100 riders. Please support us in our goal. You can change a family's future with your support.

DONATE online or by mail. SHARE OUR WEBSITE and POSTS with your friends .

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!  

On December 17 Jason  Furman, a Professor of Practice at the Harvard Kennedy School and was Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, 2013-17 wrote an Opinion in the Wall St Journal.

His article entitled, HOW TO GET AMERICAN MEN BACK INTO THE WORKFORCE, suggested the Government should have the goal of getting people into jobs.  He quoted employment rate among men 25-54 has dropped from 96% in the 1950's , to 86% today. is due to men not able to find rewarding work. His solution is to raise wages . This can be achieved through education and training. Drugs and criminal incarceration are some reasons.

Up to this part of his thesis  , we agree, but it is the same solution that has failed.

Our Response:

Both political parties look at unemployment and wonder why people are not accepting if  Jobs are available, but the Transportation barrier to accepting jobs is widely overlooked. 

Syracuse New York has the highest extreme poverty of blacks and Hispanics in the Country. 30% of residents lack access to a car. Job training and jobs are outside the City and potential workers who live in the City cannot get to and from work. Our bus system does not provide services to these areas to enable people to get to or from these training and workplaces. 

The status quo is to lament the unemployment and not fix a major barrier to employment.

PROVIDENCE SERVICES HAS BEEN DEVELOPING TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE THE SUCCESS OF THE TRAINING AND JOBS PROGRAMS.

Now that there is an option to get people to jobs, don't we owe it  to the unemployed and the citizens who pay taxes , to use our program to get people jobs? As Yoda said, "There is no try, only DO".

Let's Do It!

Walkable cities  like San Francisco , Philadelphia and Baltimore have rates like Syracuse but they also have significant walkability , density and extensive mass transit making it possible for many to live comfortably without a car.

For Low income residents in Syracuse it comes down to walking or the bus.  If these means of transportation are  not available, you can't get there.  Places like Jobs, medical visit, cultural events, shopping, Education & Training programs etc.

Providence Services is providing a Shuttle to Work service to help people get jobs. With thousands unemployed and many job opportunities available , but not reachable by bus, we are the only affordable option. 

Lyft and Uber are often cost over a 1/3 of low income worker's daily wage. That is too much.

Support our efforts to help people get jobs. Your donation will help us continue our efforts to help those left out of City prosperity.   Please donate today! We are a IRS 501c3 and your donations are tax deductible . 

As we enter this Holiday season , Please  make a donation to help an unemployed neighbor get a job.  Did you know there are hundreds of people in Syracuse unemployed?  Many of them could get jobs but there is no reliable transportation to get them to or from work , so the jobs go unfilled.

Providence Services of Syracuse is the ONLY alternative for most low income residents if the bus does not service the employer. Your donation will allow us to continue our SHUTTLE TO WORK program that has helped over 60 people get full time job since April .  

We need your help! We get calls each day for transportation , but we have limited funds. Your donation can make the difference between a person getting a job or remaining unemployed.

We encourage you to make a tax-deductible donation either online at this website  or mail a check payable to PROVIDENCE SERVICES OF SYRACUSE INC. Mail checks to : Providence Services of Syracuse Inc, 1201 E.Fayette St., Suite 13, Syracuse, NY 13210

We are a IRS 501c3 Nonprofit and we will mail you a receipt for your gift. Change a person's life, help them get a job!!

Wednesday,  we received a call from 5 potential workers needing a ride to work in order accept a job. It was a busy afternoon meeting with each of them and registering them for the Shuttle To Work program. Each had their own story , their previous setbacks and their determination to make a better life for themselves. Lack of transportation was the one consistent obstacle. One had a vehicle but it was broken and the owner lacked the money to fix it until they saved his money.  Another had a driving license issue. Three just had no transportation period.

So at the end of Wednesday 5 people now could accept the job offered to them and impove their lives.

The folks we help usually have little or no resources to get to job sites if the bus does not operate at their work times. 

In the last 7 months we have helped almost 60 people with a tiny budget and no employees.

The transportation to work issue keeping people unemployed is fixable . We have shown it can be done affordably. What is needed is the willingness to fix the problem using our program. What are we waiting for?? 

Congrats to Herman who began a new job several weeks ago with the help of our Shuttle To Work service. He was hired Full-time and received a 30% raise. Herman called us to thank us for our help. This is exactly why we started this program... to give people the chance to get a good job and improve their lives. WAY TO GO HERMAN !  

Tamisha, Renada, Ka'Nesha and DeAndre all were hired for good paying jobs in East Syracuse.   Initially they were told by Centro there were buses available. There were 2 buses to get to work from Syracuse Hub. One gets you there over 2 hours early, the second gets you there 5 minutes late to work.

Going home there was supposed to be a bus some distance away but they could not walk there in time to catch it. The first evening they ran to catch the bus and it passed them by. They had no choice but to walk home because there were no buses after 9 pm.

The walk was 8 miles! 

Renada heard of Providence and I met her the next day  and she said her feet were very swollen.  I signed her up . Since she had no way to get to work that day I drove her to work and three other fellow walkers came in and they were registered on the spot. Since they were not on our shuttle for the evening ,  I volunteered to pick them up at 9 Pm and take them home. Hearing their story is one thing but driving them and seeing the reality of their late nite walk was another. They were really nice and cool young folks with hopes and dreams and it was an eye opening evening.

Now they have reliable transportation ! Would you or let your daughter take a good  job that necessitates walking from East Syracuse to Western Lights at 9 pm in the evening?

This is why Our Shuttle To Work is so important! Support our efforts to help our neighbors get good , safe jobs so they can thrive.  When one is helped, we all benefit!

Jahtia is an optimist but getting a job with transportation is hard for her and her family members. Her employer told her about The Shuttle To Work program and we signed her up. Now she can relax and focus on her job.  We will be picking her up close to her home and she will pay only $5 per ride. 

She is one of the lucky ones in Syracuse who have reliable transportation and can have a full time job. Without our service she would be limited for employment opportunities. Centro, Cabs, Ubers and walking are not options, but our Shuttle To Work program is affordable. and reliable. Our program allows workers to continue using our Shuttles indefinitely, unlike some short term programs.

Our desire is to be able to offer this program to over 100 City residents who seek employment. Imagine the impact it could have. for reducing poverty.  In the future we would like to export our program to other cities in CNY. 

Support our effort to help people get employed by offering affordable transportation.

Refugees help in hurricane relief efforts

By: JENNIFER SANDERS 

Posted: Sep 12, 2017 02:35 PM EDT

Updated: Sep 12, 2017 06:42 PM EDT

97

SYRACUSE (WSYR-TV) - A special group from the refugee assistance program, sponsored by the Syracuse City School District (SCSD), is giving back to help victims devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Harvey.

The refugees meet everyday at Gethsemane United Methodist Church.

One day, their teachers told them about the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey and the students agreed to help.

"Most of our students are receiving public assistance but they jumped immediately and decided yes we would like to help," said Jasenko Mondom, employment consultant for SCSD Refugee Assistance Program.

In just one day, the students raised more than $300.

The students say many of them have endured devastation in their war torn countries until they came to the United States, so helping hurricane victims is their way of paying it forward.

Providence Services sees this everyday. We help people working in East Syracuse and Syracuse, but lack of funding does not allow us to help her in Jamesville. With Adequate funding, we could help so many more people. Can we come together as "Neighbors" and provide funding for us to help more people like Shantelle?

AMESVILLE, N.Y. -- Shantelle Priester's daily trip to work could be described as a journey.

Priester takes two different buses before walking several miles to Jamesville Penitentiary.

"The last stop is Iroquois Nursing Home, so once I get off from there I have to walk down the hill and then walk up here to where I work which is a four mile walk. I'm five months pregnant so you can just imagine you know, taking that long walk and this is a very steep hill," she explained. 

Each day she walks alongside traffic, and has to wait for the occasional train in Jamesville Town Square.

She's called Centro to see if there's a bus she can take to get to work.

"I've called, I've tried to start a petition and they basically told me there's really nothing they can do for me because it's not cost-efficient for them," said Priester. 

Centro says they've heard this complaint before, but don't have the capacity to add more stops or routes right now.

"Three of every four riders that we have do not have access to a car," said Steven Koegel of Centro, "so we do the best that we can with the resources that we have to serve as many transit-dependent individuals as we can. We wish we could do more."

We also reached out to the Jamesville Penitentiary to see if they think there should be a bus that goes there.

They have declined to comment.

So for now, Shantelle will keep on walking.

"This is what I have to do, and I literally don't have a choice," she said.

MORE TO EXPLORE

In today's POST STANDARD the feature article is " Syracuse Alarming Poverty  Rising in 2016"

Yet again another story about the dismal situation in Syracuse.

Providence Services of Syracuse has spent over 4 years now studying the issue and effective ways to enable City residents to get jobs.  The Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council ( SMTC)

completed a year study on the transportation barriers to employment in Syracuse and the County. They studied all possible solutions to help people be able to get to available jobs  and our Shuttle To Work  program was chosen as the best choice. The study advised, "Invest In Providence".

However, none of the members of the Council had any interest in sponsoring us for available Government grants. In fact we have been told we will get no funding.

So the question remains. If there is a solution that could help hundreds of City of Syracuse  residents get and keep jobs, why aren't leaders interested??

We are still here. We have been tried and tested and have a Study that supports our program. The Poverty is getting worse. Why can't we all work together to get people jobs? 

Quvan is an upbeat young man.  He got a good job but transportation is an issue for him since CENTRO does not provide service during his work shift.  Currently his elderly mother who lives far from him has been transporting him but it is taking a toll.  He wants to save for a car and be independent, but it takes time to save.

He loves his job and is a hard worker but transportation is stressful for him.   His employer contacted us and now Quvan can focus on his job and building a secure future. He related to us so many people he knows are having difficulties getting or keeping a job due to transportation barriers.  

Providence Services' Shuttle To Work is the only service that provides reasonably priced transportation at work locations not available by bus.  Help us assist others in The City of Syracuse who want a job, but lack transportation.  Donate on our website. All donations ae IRS Tax- Deductible.

If you know of companies interested in providing .transportation for their employees, have them contact us. 

Let's work together to cure unemployment and poverty. THERE IS HOPE!