$1.1 Million Transportation Grant From Santee-Wateree RTA

Transportation Provides Access To Services Barriers Across The County

For many years, Kershaw County has searched for a solution to the challenge of providing transportation in our rural community.  In order to expand our reach in the Kershaw County community, United Way of Kershaw County has secured over 1 million dollars in funding from Santee Wateree RTA (SWRTA) to provide health, hunger and social service-related transportation to all parts of Kershaw County.
 
“A huge thank you to the Health Services District of Kershaw County for investing in our United Way to provide targeted transportation services in Kershaw County for the past 2 years,” said United Way of Kershaw County President, Donny Supplee. “Our experience and track record equipped us with needed resources and expertise to secure a $1.1 million grant from Santee-Wateree RTA.”
 
United Way of Kershaw County began providing door-to-door rides to Kershaw County residents through United Way’s Vehicle Access Network (VAN) program in January 2022. Through our partnership with One Carolina Transit, the VAN program has provided 16,155 rides to Kershaw County residents during the past year.
 
“With funding from the SWRTA, we will be able to expand upon our successful model and deliver a demand response service that is second to none,” said Molly Kornegay VP of Operations at UWKC. “We look forward to expanding this partnership with SWRTA as a means to demonstrate how rural communities can successfully meet the transportation challenges that smaller communities face with transportation and access to services barriers.”
 
In 2018, the Health Services District of Kershaw County conducted a needs assessment that identified access to care and services as a major barrier to people who were receiving medical care. Many people needed services beyond the typical trip to a physician, hospital or pharmacy as 80% of health determinants go beyond the realm of traditional medical care and reach into all aspects of the lives of people living in Kershaw County. It will no longer need to be the case that a person’s zip code is the greatest predictor of health.
 
Corey Sweetenburg, Owner and CEO of One Carolina Transit, expressed his appreciation for the grant and partnership with United Way of Kershaw County. “I would like to thank the entire staff and drivers, past and present, for One Carolina Transit, LLC and the entire staff at United Way of Kershaw County who played a part in the process and success of the VAN program.
 
Beginning January 17, 2023, in concert with One Carolina Transit, the Health Services District of KC and SWRTA, our United Way of Kershaw County has become the lead transportation provider for all of Kershaw County. Our no cost ride services will continue to provide access to health and wellbeing throughout our county.

Past Board Chairman, Christopher McKinney Sr. stated, “Everything rises and falls on leadership! This was a herculean feat that required vision, bridge building, collaboration, tenacity, and leadership. This was exhibited by Donny when he started pursuing solutions many years ago. To echo Donny’s comments, we are extremely grateful to the Health Services District of Kershaw County for seeing the vision and partnering with us to lay a foundation, and also to SWRTA for helping us further solidify the foundation and expand. Life has gotten a little bit better for Kershaw County residents.”