United Way Receives Transportation Grant to Help Close Local Gaps

United Way of Southeast Missouri (UWSEMO) has been awarded a grant from their parent organization, United Way Worldwide, to expand United We Work, a workforce transportation program.

In partnership with the Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority (CTA), United We Work was launched by UWSEMO in late 2023 with initial funding from Healthy Blue. Since its launch, United We Work has assisted 223 entry-level employees with over 3,000 rides going to 115 different employers in Southeast Missouri. Participation includes a budgeting component, which has enabled many participants to establish accounts and relationships with local banks. Four participants were able to purchase vehicles.

United Way Worldwide’s Ride United Transportation Access grant was launched in 2018 in partnership with Lyft, a national rideshare service. The grant funds select United Ways across the country to provide free rides for community members needing transportation for essential purposes. UWSEMO was approved to use the grant to expand United We Work to provide 250 rides to interviews. Once someone needing transportation to an interview gets hired, they will transfer to the
United We Work program.

"We have a great free bus service through CTA that provides transportation around the community with stops at local shopping centers and grocery stores," stated UWSEMO Executive Director Elizabeth Shelton. “With this new grant from United Way Worldwide, we can meet needs that CTA and United We Work currently do not. Transportation to interviews is a very real need in our area and supports our commitment to the workforce as we move families from striving to thriving.”