Katy Area Ride Service (KARS) Unveils New Volunteer Program For Seniors

Since 1999, Katy residents have met with regional stakeholders to establish a comprehensive transit plan that addresses traditional gaps in service where general public transportation is either unavailable, inaccessible or insufficient to serve the KISD area. The result of this ongoing collaboration is the independent nonprofit Katy Area Ride Service (KARS).
Katy Area Ride Service, Inc. (KARS) was established to provide a one stop seamless transportation coordination service for seniors, veterans and persons with disabilities (non wheelchair) who live within the area within the boundaries of the Katy Independent School District. The organization’s primary goal is to offer affordable, reliable, safe and courteous alternative transportation to these target groups, especially those who can no longer drive and the lack of Katy area public transportation services.
“Over these past few months, as we watched the service expand, we quickly realized an added dimension of support would be necessary to match even our most conservative estimates of growth,” explains KARS Executive Director Kathie Gerritzen. “Keep in mind, of the 28,000 or more Katy seniors, 5,000 live with adult children, and a third are transportation dependent, that is, solely dependent upon someone else to drive them.”
To accommodate the projected growth, KARS has announced the implementation of an all volunteer service. This service includes volunteer drivers and volunteer administrators and coordinators working hand-in-hand with individuals, corporations, churches and local government entities to ensure Katy seniors are not neglected or left behind.
Medical providers say “We see what they see. More and more patients will need the KARS service which, right now, is the only service provider that crosses all three county lines (Harris, Waller and Ft. Bend) and gets our clients to us in a responsible and timely fashion.”
Besides the obvious benefits of low cost dependable transportation for the seniors and persons with disabilities, there is a tremendous hidden benefit of reduced absenteeism among working children who often times jeopardize their jobs by taking off from work to transport their elderly parents to the doctor. In many ways, the KARS service can be viewed as a deterrent to potential layoffs and thus, a benefit to the entire economy.
For individuals and corporations interested in getting actively involved with senior mobility in the Katy areas, please call us at: 832.773.8645. To learn more about the organization and its mission, please go to http://karskaty.org.