Community Transit awards surplus vans to nonprofits

Twelve non-profit groups from Snohomish Country, Wash. will be able to provide more than 26,000 trips to foster children, the homeless, disabled veterans and low-income residents due to the Community Transit’s Van GO program.

The Van GO program offers retired vans to non-profits that submit applications detailing how they plan to use the vehicles to benefit the community. This year, 12 of 19 applications were selected to receive vehicles. Recipients included Catholic Community Services of Lynwood, Girl Scout Daisy Troup of Mountlake Terrace, Goodwill Industries of Everett, Dunbar of Young Life Capernaum Snohomish County.

Goodwill Everett Outlet General Manager Alex Smith said he will use the vans to assist Goodwill employees get to and from work.

“This van will reduce stress to our employees, get them to work on time, and not have to worry about parking,” Smith said.

Recipient Dunbar of Young Life will work with teens who don’t drive and provide them a chance to go on adventures with friends, according to Aimee Dunbar.

Other missions include trips for previously homeless and disabled veterans to social and medical services, access to early education services for children, and rides for at-risk youth to a program which offers tutoring and life skills assistance.