GHP awarded grant to help students and families with transportation needs

Rotary Club of Greater Flint Sunrise grant supports “Riding Above Barriers” program to help reduce transportation barriers for students and families in Flint Community Schools

FLINT – The Genesee Health Plan (GHP) today announced it received a grant from the Rotary Club of Greater Flint Sunrise to help provide MTA bus passes and Your Ride vouchers to families within Flint Community Schools. The program will help reduce transportation barriers and improve access to community and school resources.

“We are deeply grateful to the Rotary Club of Greater Flint Sunrise for awarding us this grant that will help students and their families access transportation for school and school-related activities,” said Jim Milanowski, GHP President and CEO. “This grant will help us decrease transportation-related student absences, improve parent involvement with school activities and keep students in school while improving access to critical school and community services.”

The Rotary Club of Greater Flint Sunrise’s commitment to improving the quality of life for youth residing in communities in Genesee County aligns with GHP’s vision to support and foster a community where each person has an equal and affordable opportunity to live a healthy life. Through the Riding Above Barriers program, GHP and the Rotary Club of Greater Flint Sunrise will help reduce barriers to transportation and other community resources faced by many local students and their families.

“We had over 30 excellent grant applications this year and it was challenging to make our final decision,” said Jim Murdock, Grants Committee Chiar, Rotary Club of Greater Flint Sunrise. “The Genesee Health Plan’s proposal shined through based on its ability to eliminate transportation barriers and impact Flint children and families in a meaningful way.”

In 2015, GHP partnered with the Crim Fitness Foundation to launch the Community Education Initiative in the Flint Community Schools. This initiative provides Community Health Workers in each of the Flint schools who help identify any barriers that a student, their family or community members may experience in accessing care or resources, including transportation. Since the initiative began, transportation has been identified as one of the top barriers causing student absences. The need for greater community access to transportation services inspired the Riding Above Barriers program.

GHP Director of Operations, Linda Gibson and GHP President and CEO, Jim Milanowski, pictured with members of the Rotary Club of Greater Flint Sunrise

GHP Director of Operations, Linda Gibson, accepting the grant award from the Rotary Club of Greater Flint Sunrise.