EDITORS NOTE: This article originally appeared on Oakville News on Sept. 3.
Adults in Motion is reaching out to the community for support in raising $20,000 to purchase a new van for their Oakville branch. The organization, which serves Oakville, Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge and Hamilton, says their 13-year-old van in Oakville is no longer cutting it.
With over 300,000 km on the odometer, the organization—which provides essential support, activities, and outings for adults with disabilities—says its current van is no longer reliable, jeopardizing its ability to provide services.
With frequent breakdowns and several thousand dollar repair jobs each year, Adults in Motion is looking for a change to their transportation to serve the community better.
"It was a family vehicle and then we gave it to Adults in Motion probably around 2018 when it was well used," said Shelley Murphy, Executive Director of Adults in Motion.
Members participate in programs like music, arts, cooking, fitness, and volunteer work to promote independence and well-being. Many activities require transportation within the community, making a reliable van essential.
Without it, Adults in Motion has struggled to provide these experiences, which are important for their member's skill development and social integration.
"We have approximately a one-hour radius but our goal is always to find things as local as possible," Murphy said. "And that includes that when there's a group out in the van, we also typically will have a group out in the smaller community."
Murphy says they use the van for around 15 trips per week from their location at 141 Bronte Road, but it’s not uncommon for a planned outing to be cancelled at the last minute due to an issue with the van.
"When we make commitments to volunteer or be in places, we've made a commitment or a booking to be present, so when that van goes down, all those bookings and those commitments have to stop—there's no replacement transportation," said Murphy.
"There could be meal making that a group was anticipating we would make to fulfill the pantry program where we're making 110 meals for seniors. If we don't show up, those meals don't get done," she continued.
"Most of it is that ability to get out and be part of the community. Our members are here with us because we are so community-minded and because we're inspiring that inclusion. When we are stuck here in the program, although there are wonderful things to do, it's not achieving the community goals that we have."
Murphy says the program is generally able to adapt to unexpected transportation issues, but it doesn't fully compensate for the lost opportunities to engage with the community and achieve their goals of inclusion and participation.
"One of my favourite places we take the van is to a church where we make food for seniors who don't have enough. Our group makes 110 meals each time we go," said Lee, a member from the Oakville location.
"When our van is broken it means we can't go for outings and that makes me feel not good. My favourite thing is everything about Adults in Motion but especially the outings."
The organization is currently raising funds on GoFundMe and is approaching $13,000 to support their new van. However, according to Murphy, $20,000 is the minimum needed to make the investment feasible.
"It felt like a possibly attainable goal for a GoFundMe," Murphy said, explaining they might need closer to $30,000 after factoring in additional costs like taxes and insurance.
"When you're looking for a van that's going to be reliable for an extended period of time, you want to try to get under 100,000 km, and since Covid, the prices of vehicles have just skyrocketed," she continued.
"$20,000 would get us the majority of the money needed and then we'll just figure the rest out."
Members have recently been busy handwriting thank-you cards to show appreciation to those who have donated so far, taking the time to prepare and send them out.