Coralville Community Food Pantry offers bus tickets to help clientele access their location

CORALVILLE, Iowa (KCRG) - Transportation is a luxury that not everyone can afford. That’s why the Coralville Community Food Pantry has made bus tickets a part of their inventory.

“The Community Transportation Committee, Initially they gave us close to 100 bus tickets and we were just thrilled to be able to offer those in addition to the food that we provide,” said Pantry Executive Director, John Boller. “As you might imagine, they went very quickly.”

When the effort first began over 5 years ago, supply lasted a little over a week. But after a call for donations, community members were able to help continue funding these tickets.

To ensure they don’t run out too quickly, the pantry gives out 5 bus tickets each week, per household, on a first-come, first-serve basis.

“It’s whoever asks for them. As folks are shopping through the pantry, they’ll go by the produce, the meats...and then there’s eventually an option for folks who need bus tickets for the week, they can just ask for them and they get that small allotment,” said Boller.

To further their efforts, the pantry works with Johnson County to connect people with their informational resources.

“If they don’t have the ability to drive it kind of tosses things up for them. How will they are gong to access the food pantry, or employment, education, health care, all of those different things,” said Johnson County Social Services Mobility Coordinator, Kelly Schneider.

Reaction to these options has been mixed, but as word travels, more and more people are able to utilize this resource at the Coralville Community Food Pantry.

“We have a lot of folks that do come and they ask specifically for those bus tickets,” said Boller. “So they know they’re available, they’re hoping they can get them, and we do our best to keep them in stock.”

To donate specifically towards this cause, donors can make a note in the memo on a check or there’s an option to make a note on an online donation.

For more information, click here.

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