Agency to offer thousands more rides to Trumbull military veterans

Staff report

WARREN

The Trumbull County Veterans Services office will be able to offer thousands more rides every year to local military veterans, thanks to a federal transportation grant and help from Trumbull Transit and the Youngstown Air Reserve Base Community Council Charitable Fund.

Herm Breuer, Veterans Services director, said it will increase the number of rides available annually from about 2,100 to about 6,500.

Veterans Services operates a van that takes veterans to VA medical appointments in Cleveland, but sometimes there are not enough seats for the demand.

First, Trumbull Transit, which operates the county public-transportation program, helped Veterans Services obtain a $216,375 federal grant. It can be used to provide rides to county veterans age 65 and older or disabled to Veterans Affairs medical appointments in Cleveland, local appointments and any other trips they need to make, such as grocery shopping.

Veterans Services is providing the $43,275 in local matching money for the service.

But in order to also help veterans who don’t qualify for rides because they are under 65 or not disabled, Veterans Services and Trumbull Transit reached an agreement to provide them through Community Bus Services.

Their services will be only within the county, Breuer said.

Veterans Services will pay 60 percent of that cost, and the Base Community Council agreed to provide that $15,000.

One of the ways the additional rides may take shape are for a veterans shuttle to be established from Warren to a store, Breuer said.

The additional rides will start Oct. 1.