NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 7, 1998

CARY STRIKES DEAL WITH INTERFAITH TO REPLACE DIAL-A-RIDE SERVICE

CARY, NC -- A new deal between the Town of Cary and Wake Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers will give help to Cary citizens with special transportation needs. Under the agreement, the Town of Cary will provide the non-profit group with about $18,000 for capital and operating expenditures. In turn, Interfaith will add a transportation coordinator to facilitate increased Cary outreach and ridership. While Interfaith already offers as much as 750 hours of transportation service in Cary each year, the group hopes to double the number of outreach hours in the community in the coming year.

"We think this is an appropriate way to address the needs we have identified at this time," said Assistant Town Manager Ben Shivar. "We’re very fortunate to have an agency like Interfaith working with us to help our citizens." Town officials eliminated funding of a similar program, Dial-A-Ride, in December because the cost per participant was too great.

A member of the National Federation of Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers, Wake Interfaith is a coalition of religious congregations who work with frail, elderly and disabled citizens and their families to preserve independent living. Interfaith recruits and trains volunteers to provide many services, including escorted transportation, light house and yard chores, limited meal preparation, and occasional companionship. Interfaith helps people of all ages who have serious unmet needs, and because the services are provided by volunteers, there is no fee to those enrolled in the Interfaith programs.

Cary’s agreement with Interfaith will be re-examined each year. As part of the review, Interfaith will provide an annual financial statement as well as statistics on riders and ridership.

Anyone with special transportation needs as well as those interested in becoming Interfaith volunteers should call Interfaith in Cary at 460-0567.

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PRIMARY CONTACTS: Betty Newell, Interfaith, 460-0567
Ben Shivar, Asst. Town Manager, 469-4003
Susan Moran, Public Information Officer, 460-4951