Transportation

Making the Ride Happen

Making the Ride Happen is a centralized transportation call center for seniors in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties. Our transportation coordinators specialize in helping older adults and disabled individuals navigate transportation program and service options.

Transportation is provided to medical appointments, grocery shopping, TCC programs, hair salons, banks, and pharmacies. Also completes certification for Outagamie county paratransit and schedules volunteer driver programs.

Thompson Community Center

820 W. College Avenue
Appleton, WI  54914

Contact:  MRH Call Center
(920) 225-1719 or (888) 200-0576
MRH@lsswis.org

Hours of Operation
Monday through Friday
8:30 am to 4:30 pm

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 Become a Volunteer Driver

Do you want to be outdoors, help your neighbors, and feel good? Become a volunteer driver! Your interest in volunteering to drive older adults to the pharmacy, doctor, grocery store, or the Thompson Community Center is vital in keeping them healthy and involved in our community.

Contact:  Holly Keenan, Mobility Manager
(920) 225-1740 
holly.keenan@lsswis.org

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 Mobility Management

Making the Ride Happen also leads the effort in Mobility Management. Mobility management is an innovative approach for managing and delivering coordinated transportation services to customers, including older adults, people with disabilities, and individuals with lower incomes. Mobility management focuses on meeting individual customer needs through a wide range of transportation options and service providers. It also focuses on coordinating these services and providers in order to achieve a more efficient transportation service delivery system for public policy makers and taxpayers who underwrite the cost of service delivery.

Contact:  Holly Keenan, Mobility Manager
(920) 225-1740 
holly.keenan@lsswis.org

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 Transportation Providers

While our area is fortunate to have a variety of transportation options available to older adults and individuals with disabilities, including public bus, paratransit, rural and meal site transportation and volunteer programs, many of these services have varying eligibility requirements. Navigating the program restrictions, especially when trips cross city or county boundaries, can be quite complicated. Making the Ride Happen assists individuals in determining the best transportation option for their needs.

Some of the transportation providers and services that are frequently used by riders who call Making the Ride Happen for help include:

  • Senior Wheels volunteer drivers
  • FISH volunteer drivers
  • Bus Buddy assistance for any older adult who would like a companion’s help determining routes and getting comfortable riding the bus
  • Valley Transit and Valley Transit II
  • Rural Outagamie County Paratransit
  • Calumet County Aging & Disability Resource Center volunteer drivers
  • Dial-A-Ride in northern Winnebago County
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Making the Ride Happen utilizes both New Freedom operating and mobility management funding.  For operating expenses, up to 50% of the operating deficit of this project is expected to be covered by federal funding provided by the Federal Transit Administration under 49 USC 5317 (CFDA 20.521). For mobility management expenses, up to 80% of the cost of this project is expected to be covered by federal funding provided by the Federal Transit Administration under 49 USC 5317 (CFDA 20.521).

Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, Inc. operates its’ programs and services without regard to race, color, and national origin in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.  Any person who believes she or he has been aggrieved by any unlawful discriminatory practice under Title VI may file a complaint with Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, Inc. For more information on Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, Inc.’s civil rights program, and the procedures to file a complaint, contact (920) 225-1740; email holly.keenan@lsswis.org; or visit our office at 820 W. College Avenue, Appleton, WI, 54914. 

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