ACCESS Third Party Sponsorships 
for Parishes in Allegheny County

             When it comes to the new parish groupings, one thing that we hear voiced over and over again is the concern of older parishioners who might have to travel to another church for Mass and other parish related events
             Age-related disabilities in senior citizens often restricts their driving and often leaves them unable to attend Sunday Mass and other parish functions. They tend to become “invisible” when this happens, making it difficult (if not impossible) to attend to their spiritual needs. But they do need our care. Solutions involving parish owned mini-buses with volunteer drivers, or hiring a weekly shuttle from local transportation companies can be legally complex and costly. In addition, some of these other solutions have difficulty accommodating people who use wheelchairs.
            In speaking with the executive director of ACCESS, Karen Hoesch, we found that not only could ACCESS provide a solution, but by using monies from the state lottery that benefits senior citizens, Allegheny County parishes could pay for it with pennies on the dollar. She says that churches automatically qualify as third party sponsors for Pennsylvania’s Shared Ride Program and only need to send a letter to ACCESS requesting enrollment to begin to participate. Parishes can then schedule pick-ups and returns for regular Masses and programs, as well as for special events. Through third-party sponsorship, a parish could sponsor each 65+ rider at a rate of $3.15 one way. Funding from the PA Lottery would pay the other 85% of the $21.10 total fare. There may also be special group discounts for 5 or more people traveling from the same location.
              After being approved, a parish coordinator (advocate, social services minister, dedicated volunteer, etc.) can seek out those in your parish community who need rides to various functions, and obtain the necessary, one-time proof-of-age requirement. Then they would simply notify ACCESS of the names and addresses of the riders as well as the time of the particular event. Drivers would drop them off before the event or activity begins and pick them up within 20 minutes of the end of it (if they are told when it will likely end). Weekly events like Masses would probably have the same regular driver. ACCESS is also happy to discuss establishing standing orders (every Sunday) for riders who intend to go to church weekly. They would simply need to call ACCESS to cancel if they are NOT going, rather than call every time they ARE going.
(If a parish doesn’t want to task someone on their own staff with calling ACCESS to book rides, it is welcome to establish a billing account with them and let them know the names of the people who may use the account. Riders can then call ACCESS themselves and book their own trips, billing to that account.)
             ACCESS now has the technology to offer riders an automated call-out when the vehicle is within about ten minutes of arriving to pick them up. They have a new feature called RealTime through which riders can track the estimated time their vehicle will arrive, the number of stops before theirs, and the vehicle number. This is available by phone call, text message, computer, and smartphone.
             While each parish would be responsible for paying (ACCESS would bill them based on the attached Financial Responsibility Data application), some parishes may choose to charge their riders a fee. Since the cost is so minimal, and the benefits of including these long-time parishioners so great, it would be in the interest of most parishes to elect to just assume the cost themselves.
               Enrolling in this program could have a huge impact on the lives of our senior parishioners, not to mention their social lives, since this service could not only be extended to them for Mass, Adoration, Stations of the Cross, etc., but also for bingo, festivals, dinners, school performances and the like… in short, any parish function or activity.
Step-by-step instructions to become an ACCESS third party sponsor and a copy of the Financial Responsibility Data form are attached in the links below. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to call Shayna Gleason at: 412-562-5353.      
Or, drop an email to Deacon Tim Killmeyer, Diaconal Assistant to Persons with Disabilities at [email protected]