Rural California Transit Agency Reinvents Itself During COVID

Using AI technology, home address data, and algorithms, the Metro21 Institute at Carnegie Mellon was able to find the best school bus routes to deliver school meals to students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The solution wouldn’t have worked with the help of a community of partners, leaders, and volunteers. “It truly has taken a village.”

An Islamic organization called Downtown Denver’s Islamic Center is helping members of their community adjust to the quarantine and maintain their spiritual practice. All services and counseling has been moved online, and their preexisting food assistance program is still going on, albeit adjusted to accommodate for the shortage of volunteers during the quarantine. They even have many one-on-one phone calls with people to work through specific issues. It's not perfect, and they still want to do more, but for now they are serving a great spiritual and communal need.

In the age of social distancing due to COVID-19, Los Angeles galleries and museums are creating virtual experiences, adapting their exhibitions for people to enjoy via the internet. In one example, the Museum of Contemporary Art showcases one offering per day, like a movie night, to keep their audiences engaged.

As part of a larger effort to make the city of West Sacramento more friendly to their aging population, an on-demand ride-sharing app was developed to make transportation more accessible for seniors who cannot easily use public transportation. The response has been overwhelming, and the project will soon be able to support itself financially. The city is also using another app to help connect seniors with volunteer opportunities that make use of their skills, which was something else they learned was desired by doing focus groups.

The way cities are built in the United States makes getting around without driving a car difficult. This means that, for an increasingly aging population, mobility can be a significant issue, leading to challenges such as missed medical appointments and loneliness that can actually decrease lifespan. But in the age of the sharing economy, ride services such as Lyft and Uber reach out to the demographic that arguably needs them most, partnering with medical centers and hospice providers to get smartphone technology - or more "old school" alternatives such as hotlines - into the hands of senior citizens.

PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) organizations are tackling the growing crisis of elder homelessness by expanding beyond traditional medical services to secure housing. These Medicaid and Medicare-funded organizations are partnering with senior housing providers, leasing apartment wings, and even developing their own housing projects to ensure their 83,000+ participants nationwide have stable places to live.

The TriTown Connector is a microtransit service providing rides between three rural communities in western Massachusetts, with reduced fares for senior residents. Rides are scheduled in advance by phone and via an app, and the service has completed roughly 350 trips in its first month of operation.

Through a collaborative effort between the Jefferson Center, the community mental health center for Jefferson County, and RTD train stations, those experiencing homelessness are receiving help. RTD hosts a homeless navigator that connects people at bus and train stations to mental health centers. The collaboration also links those in need with shelters, a hot meal, or even needle-exchange programs.

The Central Arizona Shelter Services, with help from the City of Phoenix and federal CARES Act COVID relief money, contracted a local hotel to turn 100 rooms into a shelter for the growing number of seniors experiencing homelessness. Known as Project Haven, the rooms help people remain socially distanced and restore people’s dignity. The success of the model brought in other partners, such as behavioral health services and on-site caseworkers to assist with job searches, family reunification, or rental assistance. In the first year, 70% of the 217 seniors it served found positive housing outcomes.

A community effort spearheaded by a local church and a software company is helping senior citizens in Markham, Ontario secure Covid vaccine appointments. Ahead of the vaccine rollout, a reverend and a parishioner began collecting senior's information via an online form, which allowed them to streamline the signup process. The effort's success has attracted surrounding communities who are now working with the duo to reach their seniors as well.