Veterans who live in Mitchell County, along with widows and widowers of Mitchell County veterans, can take advantage of a new program that provides free rides on Mitchell County Transportation vans and buses.
Some examples of trips veterans can take include rides to the doctor, running errands, or getting groceries. Trips can be both in-county and regional. There are some requirements: if the trip is inside Mitchell County, the veteran must give one day’s notice; if it is outside the county, a three-day notice is required.
To register for a trip, the veteran calls Mitchell Transportation at 828-688-4715 during regular business hours. They will be asked to provide the day and time of the trip, the destination, and approximately how long the trip will last. The veteran can have one other person travel with them. Service animals only are welcome on the vans and buses. When being picked up, please have an ID. If the veteran must cancel or reschedule the trip, please contact Mitchell Transportation as soon as possible to make changes.
Trips are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis, so the sooner it can be scheduled, the better.
The program is the result of a partnership between Mitchell Transportation, the Mitchell County Veterans Service Office, and Mitchell County Chapter 58 of the Disabled American Veterans. Marsha Biddix, Veterans Service Officer for Mitchell County, hopes veterans will make use of the transportation opportunity. “Our veterans have given their service to our country. This is one small way for us to say ‘thank you’ for your service,” said Biddix.
Ron Stirling, Adjutant with Mitchell County Chapter 58 of the Disabled American Veterans, is glad his organization has the chance to be involved. “The local DAV chapter is glad we could be a part of this project. We thank all veterans for their service and sacrifice for our country and hope that they will take advantage of programs like this partnership with Transportation and Veterans Services.”
“I am pleased to announce this new program for our veterans,” said Sheila Blalock, Director of Mitchell Transportation. “We want to thank Mitchell County Veterans Services and the DAV for their financial support that makes this possible.”
For more information, visit mitchellcountync.gov/veterans or call Mitchell Transportation at 828-688-4715. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.