Councilmember Dunn to donate surplus vanpool vans to organizations in District 9

July 23, 2018

Summary

“Repurposing retired Metro vans both maximizes County resources and allows community organizations to better serve residents”

Story

Metropolitan King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn announced today that three organizations in Maple Valley and Covington will receive retired Metro Transit Vanpool vans to provide transportation assistance to for low-income, elderly or young people, or people with disabilities.

The organizations receiving vans are:

• City of Covington’s Parks and Recreation Department,
• Tahoma School District No. 409,
• Vine Maple Place

“Repurposing retired Metro vans both maximizes County resources and allows community organizations to better serve residents,” said Councilmember Reagan Dunn.

Covington Parks and Recreation will use this van to support ongoing community youth and new senior programs.

“We are very thankful and excited for this donation,” said recreation specialist Jaquelyn Ball of Covington Parks and Recreation. “This will be used by the Covington youth council and other youth programs as well as adding new senior day trips for various events.”

Tahoma School District will be using the van to transport special needs students to locations of employment, social and recreation outings, grocery shopping and other activities pertaining to their education.

“We are extremely grateful for this donation,” said Maple Valley Mayor Sean Kelly. “Tahoma School District will make great use of this van thanks to Councilmember Dunn.”

Vine Maple Place, a nonprofit charity that provides direct support services to single parents and their children, will use the van to transport clients and their children to weekly meetings and activities that foster healing and skill building.

“It is very important for us to be able to provide for the needs of homeless kids through transportation to tutoring and counseling appointments, educational field trips and activities,” said Vine Maple Place Executive Director Michelle Frets. “It is a lifeline to help the moms with emergency transportation needs. Thank you for providing such a valuable tool to help these families heal and build stability.”

The vanpool program provides mobility for a diverse array of King County residents, supports the positive work of various local organizations, and relieves traffic congestion by reducing the need for single-occupancy vehicles.

Interested organizations can contact Councilmember Dunn for more information on applying for a vehicle.