Job Access and Reverse Commute (jarc) Program fy 2009 Service Profiles Region X alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington October 2010 fta-08-0162 Job Access and Reverse Commute (jarc) fy 2009 Service Profiles: Region X

Location: Yakima County (WA)
Type: Trip-Based Services/Demand response
Goal: Improved access/connections
Service description: We provide door-to-door services for recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and their children. Transportation to job training activities is provided to eligible participants with no other means of transportation. People For People serves three counties (Lincoln, Adams, and Grant) and within these counties a significant percentage of individuals fall into one or more of the following categories:
- 65 years of age or older
- under 18 years old
- income that falls below the poverty level
- disabled
In three of the four counties we serve you will find some of the poorest and most disadvantaged populations in the state of Washington.
Evaluation: People For People evaluates it's performance via the reports submitted to WSDOT on a quarterly basis. The number of trips and miles recorded each month help us gauge how we're performing against our proposal/contract. This helps us determine what our recruitment efforts should be for the upcoming months. PFP also monitors the outcome of our services with the Customer Complaint/Comment cards that come in a regular basis. The communication between our transportation department and the case managers that refer clients to us is ongoing and vital. Feedback from service providers during our monthly Local Planning Area (LPA) meetings also gives us an idea of our we're performing.
Accomplishments: We have excellent networking and coordination with our Community Service Organizations. We are a member in the development of one of the largest annual Job Fairs in Yakima County.
Lessons learned: Work on open communication and partnerships with your local Community Service Organizations and other service providers. Coordinate with intra and inter-city transportation providers in order to provide transportation options to the communities you serve.