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Council reports transportation, food pantry and shelter updates; nonemergency medical transport not covered
Summary
Council members reported that council funds cannot pay for nonemergency medical transport, buses now stop at the hospital, the food pantry needs a new home and warming-place lunches continue on Mondays.
Council members provided multiple community-service updates at the June 26 meeting, including changes to transportation access, limits on council-funded nonemergency travel, and an urgent need for a new food-pantry location.
Council Chair Veronica Bolchic said she learned the council cannot pay for nonemergency medical transportation; the council’s support is limited to emergency transport. When asked whether off-island cancer infusions or chemotherapy qualify, the council’s staff response in the meeting was: “Correct. Correct. It is not.”
Members said some alternative funds remain for specific cases. Sue Mintonan noted the Marla Lamb Fund, administered through PASCON, provides reimbursement for off-island cancer care and related travel expenses; it is a reimbursement program for cancer-specific treatment costs. Council members also said other small local funds and charitable sources can be used for limited needs.
Several speakers credited NERDA and town transit changes for improving access to the hospital. Members reported that one of the fixed-route lines now stops at the hospital; council member Sarah Wright said drivers are keeping usage data and that maps on the transit website will be updated to reflect the change.
The council also discussed an urgent need to find a new home for the local food pantry. Members said the town-owned building that currently houses the pantry will be repurposed for bus operations as electric routes expand, and that the pantry serves roughly 350 family units in a typical week. The council emphasized fundraising efforts and a new Community Foundation fund named “Find the Pantry a New Home” to collect donations.
Other community updates included the warming-places summer program at Summer Street Church (lunch and case referrals on Mondays) and an outreach idea to set up a rotating table at the farmers market to connect residents and donors with local service providers. The council encouraged residents and stakeholders to monitor announcements about the pantry’s relocation and to consider fundraising and advocacy to secure a replacement location.
