10.03.2011

Transportation Woes

picture from http://www.nashvillemta.org/

It’s 4 p.m. sharp, and the toddlers are anxiously waiting to be picked up from daycare. Their mother, Angela, a student of the CWJC downtown site, steps on to the city bus for the fourth time today. She rides it to the daycare and quickly walks to the door. She signs her children out and at 4:40, the three of them board the downtown-bound bus. Fifteen minutes later, the three step off and onto the next bus that takes them closer to the CWJC building. At 5:30, Angela and her two young ones arrive for class.

After class, Angela gathers her children and quickly heads out the door for the 8pm bus, rides it to Music City Central, and then transfers to head toward Shelby at 8:15. Finally, at 8:40 p.m., Angela, along with her two little ones, arrive a block away from her apartment, ready to make the final walk home.

If you lost count of the total number of busses Angela rode in one day, it’s nine. For those of us that conveniently hop into our cars every day, the reality of dependence upon public transportation is far removed. But for a large majority of CWJC students, reliance upon public transportation is everything. This very reality is what makes CWJC’s loss of MTA issued bus passes so hard on our students. Because public transportation is so expensive, yet undeniably necessary, many students have relied on the bus passes CWJC has been able to issue in the past to assist them in coming to class.

Your donations help make transportation, educational classes, and mentors possible for our students. A gift of $5, $10, $40 or $100 can provide a woman dependent on public transportation the resources to overcome barriers in her life.

if you’d like to make a donation, click on the donate button on our website or contact CWJC at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).