Miguel Duran | Marine Veteran211 Riverside VetLink

Osvaldo Maysonet | Marine Veteran

211 San Bernardino VetLink

Vision & Mission

Mission StatementVetLink’s mission is to connect Veterans, Service members, and their families to needed Veteran and community resources and to the transportation options to get there.

Vision statementVetLink envisions a community where Veterans, Service members, and their families have full access to information, transportation, and community resources they need to thrive.

Some of our partners

Funding Partners

VAMC and Community-Based Organizations

Public Transit Providers

Including:-Veteran Transportation Services-Behavioral Health-Employment Development Dept.-Homeless Coalition-Veteran posts-Community non-profits

The Environment is the Challenge

Veteran population - San Bernardino County: approx. 109,764- Riverside County: approx. 130,237Source: USDVA VetPop 2011/counties

Military installations-29 Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC)-National Training Center at Fort Irwin-March Air Force Base

Services-Regional VAMC-7 CBOCs / 3 Vet Centers-County Vet Service Offices-US Vets Housing & others

Population and Land -Over 27,000 sq. mi. - three urbanized areas and many rural communities-Concentrations of Veterans exist in both urbanized and rural areas.

How does benefit Veterans?

• Accessing needed community resources begins and ends with transportation

– 211’s VetLink gets the Veteran connected to both

Involvement with Transportation Committees

P.A.S.T.A.C.C.

Outreach, In-reach & Community engagement

What’s wrong here?

What’s missing?

Outreach, In-reach & Community engagement

Outreach, In-reach & Community engagement

Month Trips

Jan-14 1861

Feb-14 2126

Mar-14 2133

Apr-14 2245

Grand Total 8365

2014 YTD Veteran Ridership

Veteran Transportation Access Program (VTAP)

• (VTAP) is part of the Transportation Access Program (TAP) funded by RCTC, administered by Community Connectin Riverside.

• 211 VetLink Riverside receives 100 monthly RTA single ride bus passes available at no charge on a first come first serve basis.

• Veterans in Western Riverside County who are truly needy can now make it to medical appointments, counseling, job interviews, school/training, search for housing/shelter and other needed services.

Donates Paratransit Buses to Veteran Service

Organizations• U.S. Vets• Veterans’ Alliance

of Southern California

• American Legion Post 328

• VFW District 23, Riverside

• Southwest Veterans Business Resource Center

Outcomes of our efforts inSan Bernardino County?

Victor Valley Transit Authority• First to institute a Veteran Fare Policy in the County, following the lead of RTA and Beaumont Pass Transit in Riverside County

•Approved by VVTA’s BoD on March 17th, 2014•Same rate as Senior/Disabled•Able to use any government issued Military, Veteran ID, or VVTA issued pass to receive fare•Fare policy took effect April 21st, 2014

Advocacy: Bridging the gaps

Donated 500 1-day passes for HAH-HAV

Free bus rides for Vets to RAVE

Free bus rides for Vets to V.E.A.P. Expo

Follow us on Twitter! @211VetLink

www.rivsbvetlink.orgQuestions???