St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center Awarded New Vehicles

San Diego County CA— The SANDAG Board of Directors released a ”call for projects” for the Specialized Transportation Grant Program late last week.
The Cycle 10 Call for Projects makes $7 million available in grant funding for local government agencies, tribal governments, social service agencies, private and public operators of public transportation, and nonprofit organizations. Eligible projects include volunteer-driver and shuttle programs, non-emergency medical trips, mobility management, travel training, and the purchase of accessible vehicles.
In a celebration on Tuesday morning, SANDAG presented 11 new accessible vehicles that were awarded as part of a previous grant cycle. The event occurred in El Cajon at St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center, a non-profit that seeks to educate and empower individuals with developmental disabilities.
“These grants help fund transportation options that give our most vulnerable population the ability to travel to work, school, medical appointments, and to participate in an array of community programs,” said SANDAG Chair and Del Mar City Councilmember Terry Sinnott.
SANDAG distributes up to two years of specialized transportation grant funds biennially. Recent vehicle grant recipients include Home of Guiding Hands, Facilitating Access to Coordinated Transportation (FACT), Jewish Family Service of San Diego, Metropolitan Transit Systems, Noah Homes, San Ysidro Health Center, and Sharp Healthcare Foundation.
In addition, other notable grant recipients of the Specialized Transportation Grant Program include:

• City of La Mesa, Rides4Neighbors
• City of San Marcos, On the Move Transportation Program
• Peninsula Shepherd Center, Out and About Peninsula
• Travelers Aid Society of San Diego, ElderHelp, Seniors-A-Go-Go
• City of Oceanside, Solutions for Seniors on the Go
• Mountain Health & Community Services

SANDAG will hold a grant applicant workshop for potential applicants in mid-August during which staff will review the call for projects material, program requirements, grant application procedures, and answer questions.
Cycle 10 applications are due October 25, 2018. All project funding recommendations are expected to be presented to the SANDAG Board of Directors for approval in March.
Funding is provided by TransNet, the regional half-cent sales tax, which provides a dedicated funding stream for the Senior Mini-Grant Program, and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities (Section 5310) Program.