Statements
Mission
Wilson Rides will change the face of aging in Wilson County, Tennessee by providing services that reduces isolation and supports the active lifestyles of our older adults. Wilson Rides will help preserve the quality of life while fostering a connected community for older adults by providing safe transportation to local destinations.
Background
Transportation continues to rank as a top need for senior adults in Wilson County, Tennessee. Kelly Cab serves the Lebanon community but doesn't extend to Mt. Juliet or Watertown. Mid Cumberland Transit serves more than Wilson County and is a good service for non-ambulatory clients. Uber and Lyft also provide services here, however, they may not always be the choice of transportation for older adults.
In 2019, there were 23,195 people over the age of 65 living in Wilson County making it the 5th highest number of seniors out of 95 counties in Tennessee. Of this population, 20% lived alone and 6% did not have a car or didn't drive anymore. It is estimated that by 2030, the 65+ population will increase by 44% and 20% of all residents in Wilson County will be 65+. *
Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto recognized this need for transportation and was passionate about making Wilson County a great place for seniors to live. He had a vision to change the face of aging in Wilson County by engaging older adults and connecting them to the community. At the same time, Maggie Lea, owner of Home Instead Services located in Lebanon, TN recognized that hospital re-admission rates for seniors were high and knew that part of this was due to seniors not having access to affordable transportation in order to keep their regular healthcare appointments. Mayor Hutto and Maggie Lea engaged with the Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce Healthcare Roundtable to take this transportation project on. Soon after, a highly effective Board of Directors was formed. In April of 2020, Wilson Rides, Inc. was established as a new nonprofit organization whose mission was to preserve quality of life and foster a connected community for older adults in Wilson County by providing safe transportation to local destinations. In February of 2021, a new Executive Director was hired, Gaye Lynn Wilson and started giving rides in May of 2021.
Since giving the ceremonial first ride in May of 2021 and the first official ride in June of 2021, Wilson Rides has achieved the following in the past 26 months:
954 round trips taken
1504. completed requests
311 unique destinations visited
48,272 miles driven by volunteer drivers
2567 volunteer driver hours given
Impact
In 2020, in a county of 147,737 residents, the picture of Wilson County's aging community showed that there were 24,000 adults over the age of 65; the 5th highest number of seniors out of 95 counties in Tennessee. By 2030, the 65 and older population will increase by 20% - projected to be 34,000.
Studies have shown that older adults typically live six to ten years after they stop driving. Reduced mobility can put a person at higher risk of poor health, isolation, loneliness and depression as well. It is also notable that the hospital re-admission rate is high for seniors driving up healthcare costs. Part of this is due to the fact that many seniors don't have access to transportation and wait until an emergency arises before they seek healthcare.
In Wilson County, TN, affordable, reliable, assisted transportation ranks as a top need for senior adults. Locally, this need has been discussed for several years and was validated by the Council on Aging (COA) surveys and calls from seniors as well as input from service providers. For these reasons, in April of 2020, Wilson Rides was officially formed as a 501c3 non-profit organization in order to serve the aging population and its' transportation and connectivity needs in Wilson County, TN with a goal to improve mobility services.
By providing affordable rides for seniors and/or scholarships for those who cannot afford rides, Wilson Rides will serve those segments of the population that are most at risk of not keeping regular scheduled medical appointments, those that need access to COVID testing, access to COVID vaccinations and boosters, treatments as well as other items of necessity. Wilson Rides senior ride program will also serve those with hearing and vision deficiencies, those with current non-permanent medical issues as well as those with physical deficiencies.
In 2023, Wilson Rides plans to give back with:
• At least 50 volunteer drivers giving a minimum of 1-2 hours per month
• At least 500 roundtrip rides within Wilson County
Our volunteer drivers fill a gap in transportation services with this individual scheduled ride service in the county.
Needs
Top 5 Most Pressing Needs as an Organization
1. Volunteer Drivers
2. Vehicle to Transport Riders
3. Ambassador Council Members
4. Funding to Offset Volunteer Driver Expenses
5. Corporate Partners
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Human Services - Senior Centers/Services |
| Secondary Category: | Human Services - Transportation Assistance |
| Tertiary Category: | - |
Areas Served
Services are currently available for residents in Wilson County.
| TN - Wilson |
