The Foundation grants millions each year to support basic needs across our region. But we know that without transportation, our communities can't access these services and resources. Reliable and accessible transportation is vital in reaching healthcare, childcare, food, and employment.
"Transportation isn't a luxury of access—it's the first stepping-stone of opportunity and the glue holding daily life together," explains Becky Stugart, Foundation Impact Coordinator. "Without that secure foundation, the pathways to essential human needs remain only possibilities, not realities."
Supporting solutions that provide transportation for our community is a win for all—and Stop Hopper, a service offered by rabbittransit, is doing its part. Stop Hopper offers flexible, on-demand public transit using neighborhood-friendly-sized vehicles at aminimal (and sometimes free) cost. In 2024, grantmaking from the Foundation's Amazon-directed fund sparked a new Stop Hopper zone in the Berwick area, connecting access to neighboring zones in Bloomsburg and Danville and countless resources. Over the last two years, Foundation funds across five counties have awarded $60,000+ in grants to continue growing this work.
In a 2024 survey of Columbia and Montour County riders, 33% said they have no other means of transportation, and 78% rated Stop Hopper as "extremely important" to their travel needs. The primary purpose of riding included medical appointments (29%) and employment (22%). But the true measure of Stop Hopper's success is in the voices of community residents whose lives have fundamentally changed with access to reliable transportation.
- "It has made things a lot easier for me as a single mother without reliable transportation."
- "Now I can be more independent."
- "It allows me to go to a job I love and wouldn't have transportation to otherwise."
- "It gets me to my medical appointments—between office visits and cancer treatments, I use it a lot."
These are just a few examples of the impact we can have together when systematic transportation barriers are removed. Riders can maintain their health, keep their jobs, support their families, and reclaim their independence.