News
Liberty Mutual Survey Baby Boomers reluctant to speak to aging parents about their driving but that seniors are willing to talk
July 20, 2009. LibertyMutual.com/SeniorDriving
"Families should be having conversations now – before an incident occurs – with aging relatives about how to best map out transportation solutions that maintain their independence and dignity, yet keep them safe." said Greg Gordon, senior vice president of Consumer Marketing at Liberty Mutual.
Click here to read full story.
Liberty Mutual debuts Driver Seat Game
June 19, 2009
Liberty Mutual launched its online Driver Seat Game, a video game that will allow players of all ages to experience first-hand the physical and cognitive limitations that older drivers may experience while operating a motor vehicle. The goal of the game is to make players sensitive to the physical obstacles faced by their parents at various stages of aging and inspire conversations between adult children and their senior parents.
Click here to read the press release.
Regional Transportation Opportunities for Seniors in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona, May 12, 2009
Rodney Glassman is the Ward 2 Tucson City Councilman and a member of the Pima Council on Aging Board of Directors from Arizona. One of his campaign commitments is to expand transit opportunities for seniors. Rodney presented the ITN concept to the Board of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) at their April meeting. The project proposal will be reviewed by RTA Board for funding authorization in the fall 2009. Rodney Glassman has a blog which talks about Spotlight on this Week's Council Agenda (Regional Transportation Opportunities for Seniors).
Senior Transportation Roundtable
Westbrook, ME, May 1, 2009
Katherine Freund, Founder of ITNAmerica, will speak at a Senior Transportation Roundtable in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. The event, hosted by the Alberta Motor Association, will take place on Tuesday, May 19 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. The free conference is open to transportation planners and providers, seniors, health care providers, elected officials, urban planners, senior serving organizations, community organizations working with seniors and anyone interested in transportation services for seniors.
Click here for more information.
Senior Transportation: Raising Revenue and Awareness
Westbrook, ME, April 10, 2009
Barbara Huston and Katherine Freund both started out with a problem and ended with successful, innovative business models as solutions. Barbara Huston co-founded Partners In Care, a service-exchange program that utilizes volunteers to help older adults age in place. Katherine Freund created the first national, non-profit transportation service for the aging population, ITNAmerica®. Both of their business models use creative nontraditional methods to support transportation services for older adults.
The National Center on Senior Transportation is offering a free distance learning event scheduled from 2-3 pm. EDT Thursday, May 28. The topic is "Senior Transportation Programs: Raising Revenue and Awareness". Join NCST during this hour long phone conference to hear from Barbara and Katherine and learn more about their innovative solutions to meet the needs of our aging population. Registration is available on the NCST website.
Click here for more information.
Money available to help NY seniors get rides
Westbrook, ME, April 15, 2009
Four $50,000 grants are available to communities in New York to establish transportation services for seniors who might otherwise be stuck in their homes or driving beyond their abilities. The two year grants are available through ITNAmerica® with funding by the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. The grants are to be applied at $25,000 per year toward the cost to establish Independent Transportation Network® affiliates. Applications are currently being accepted.
Across the country, more than a million Americans age 70 and older stop driving each year. Today, people remain active and independent into their eighties and beyond, and outlive their decision to stop driving by as much as a decade. That's too long to depend on favors, even from family.
There are currently 12 ITN® affiliates in nine states. Rides are offered 24/7 for any purpose within the service area, in private cars with a combination of volunteer or paid drivers. There are several innovative ways to pay for rides, from discounts for scheduling a ride in advance or sharing a ride, to trading in an unused car for an equal value of rides. In addition, volunteers earn mileage credits that they can donate to friends, family or The Road Scholarship Fund™ for low-income seniors. These credits can also be stored for the future when a volunteer decides to stop driving. Or an adult child may volunteer in Chicago and donate their credits to a parent who lives in Sarasota, for example.
Individuals or organizations interested in starting an affiliate may download the guidelines at http://pub.itnamerica.org/nysgrants. The Independent Transportation Network® is a grassroots solution to a growing problem that touches every family in America. Current affiliates have been started by agencies on aging, faith-based groups, individuals philanthropists and activists, as well as other public-based organizations, such as a mayor’s office.
For more information about the grants, please contact Ernie Ott at NewYorkStateGrants@itnamerica.org or 909-792-6326. For more information about ITNAmerica, please visit www.ITNAmerica.org.
The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation is one of the nation’s largest private foundations and is dedicated to relieving the burdens of poverty, especially among older adults.
ITNAmerica is the first and only national non-profit transportation system for America's aging population.
ITNAmerica Founder Katherine Freund receives AARP Inspire Award
Washington (November 24, 2008), AARP The Magazine
"These leaders set a great example for all on how passion can support and spark change in creative, innovative ways. Their stories are truly inspiring," said Nancy Graham, Vice President and Editor of AARP The Magazine.
Click here to read the full story.
Liberty Mutual and ITNAmerica Encourage Families to Consider the Gift of Safety as Aging Relatives Hit the Road this Holiday Season
Glenn Greenberg, Liberty Mutual, 617-574-5874, Boston, November 24, 2008
The holidays may be the best time for older drivers to consider transitioning to the passenger seat....
Click here to read the full story.
Clayton Fong honored by National Hispanic Council on Aging
Seattle, WA, Sept. 17, 2008
NAPCA C.E.O. to Receive Award from NHCOA
National Hispanic Council on Aging to Honor Clayton Fong's Commitment to Seniors
The National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) has announced it plans to honor National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) C.E.O. Clayton Fong with The President's Award, at their annual conference this November.
"This is a wonderful honor that Mr. Fong is proud to accept," said NAPCA Communications Director Derek Wing. "It shows that both he and NAPCA are committed to helping seniors from all walks of life, regardless of race or ethnicity. We are happy that NHCOA recognizes the tireless contributions Mr. Fong has made to the aging community, with this prestigious award."
The President's Award is given to an individual, group or company that has demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting policy programs valuable to older adults. Mr. Fong's dedication to older Americans is also evident in his work as a member of the board of directors of ITNAmerica, a national nonprofit providing dignified transportation to seniors and people with visual impairments.
NAPCA is a national non-profit organization based in Seattle. Its mission is to serve as the leading national advocacy organization to preserve the dignity, well-being and quality of life of Asian Pacific Americans in their senior years, educate APA seniors and the general public on the unique needs of the APA aging community and empower APA seniors and the aging network to meet the increasing challenges facing the APA aging community.
As America's Aging Adult Population Continues to Grow, Transportation Becomes Key Issue for Senior Drivers and Their Families
Liberty Mutual and ITNAmerica Create Partnership, Launch Online Resource for Driving Safety and Transportation Solutions
BOSTON, May 15, 2008
By 2012, approximately 10,000 Americans will turn 65 every day and by 2030 our overall senior population will reach nearly 71 million (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The Merck Company Foundation). As America ages, seniors and their families are identifying transportation and driving safety as among their top growing concerns. Indeed, the more than 30 million senior drivers aged 65 or older on the road today (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) must now or will soon need to acknowledge physical limitations that will cause them to reduce their driving or seek alternative transportation altogether.
As the country recognizes seniors during May's National Older Americans Month, Liberty Mutual, the eighth largest car and home insurer in the U.S., and ITNAmerica, the first and only national, non-profit transportation network for America's aging population, have joined forces to help keep senior drivers safe on our roads. The new partnership addresses this growing national concern with resources for seniors and their families seeking practical, affordable and dignified mobility solutions at http://www.libertymutual.com/seniordriving.
"Today's older Americans are among the most active and community-engaged seniors in our nation's history, and mobility and independence are essential to preserve those great qualities," said ITNAmerica Founder and President, Katherine Freund. "With the support of Liberty Mutual, we will grow this community-based transportation network across the country and will provide resources seniors and their families need to make responsible driving decisions."
ITNAmerica is an economically sustainable, community-based approach to senior mobility. It provides 24/7, personalized rides to seniors who limit or stop driving. Caring ITN volunteers from the local community and a small paid staff use their own or donated cars to bring member-riders to and from medical appointments, grocery shopping, work, exercise, and a host of social and personal local destinations. This senior transportation solution has met great success in ITNAmerica's first affiliate communities - Charleston, S.C.; Portland, Maine; Orlando, Fla; and Los Angeles – as a safe, responsible and dignified supplement to public transportation, without an additional tax burden on the local population.
"At the core of our partnership with ITNAmerica is a shared belief that doing the right thing through responsible acts is something to be celebrated," said Greg Gordon, Liberty Mutual vice president of Consumer Marketing. "Liberty Mutual will help ITN elevate this issue and provide actionable resources for seniors and their families to make good, safe transportation decisions."
The new Liberty Mutual/ITNAmerica website (http://www.libertymutual.com/seniordriving) offers tips for mature drivers on how to stay safe on the road and how to make adjustments to their driving habits. It also offers guidance to adult children on how to address transportation concerns and solutions with their aging parents.
Liberty Mutual also will help ITNAmerica expand its network of affiliates across the country, supporting the opening of planned new locations in Chicago, San Diego, Lexington, Ky., Enfield and Middlesex, Conn.; and the Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois. Information about new and existing ITN affiliates, as well as information about how to become an ITN volunteer in these communities is available at http://www.libertymutual.com/seniordriving.
Economic Impact of ITNPortland Increases 149%
Westbrook, ME, April 7, 2008
The economic impact of having an Independent Transportation Network® affiliate has risen sharply in the last five years. Members of ITNPortland will spend an estimated $806,036 annually in the Greater Portland community. Increases in ridership and the consumer price index account for this increase, calculated in 2003 at $322,797 and now revised to $806,036. Riders are 65 years or older and those with visual impairments who might otherwise not be able to travel, shop and make their medical appointments.
"Older people are a vital part of the local economy," said ITNAmerica Executive Director Katherine Freund, "but if they cannot leave their homes, it is difficult for them to make an impact."
Research shows that non-driving seniors make 15% fewer trips to the doctor and 65% fewer trips for social, family and religious activities. ITN provides door-through-door transportation, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no restrictions on ride purpose. All rides are in private cars with trained drivers who fold walkers, carry packages and open doors.
No tax payer dollars are used to operate the service, and the fares charged only cover approximately half the cost of the rides. Community support is needed to keep the service affordable, and there is an urgent need for more volunteer drivers. To help, please call 207 854-0505.
State agencies play new role in route to affiliation
March 1, 2008, Westbrook, ME
Several state agencies are collaborating with ITNAmerica to help develop dignified and sustainable transportation across their states. This approach of establishing clusters of affiliates, aided by initial funding from the State, is expected to generate valuable economic and operational efficiencies.
The Connecticut Department of Social Services recently issued a Request for Applications (RFA) for matching grants of up to $50,000 to help establish four affiliates. The $50,000 may be applied toward the initial start-up funds required for the development and implementation of an ITN affiliate.
In 2008, the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSoFA) will be requesting applications for grants to establish four ITN affiliates in New York State. The communities selected through the RFA will each be awarded a $55,000 grant from NYSoFA to be used as start-up funds for their first year. The selected communities will also receive an additional $25,000 from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation during the first year and another $25,000 for the second year which will be administered by ITNAmerica.
A number of different government organizations, such as a Department of Transportation or Department of Aging, could be the catalyst for exploring your senior mobility issues.
If you are interested in helping start an ITN affiliate in your community and you want to explore how your state might get involved, contact your local state legislator, or urge your legislator to contact us directly at (207) 857-9001. We welcome your interest.
ITNAmerica featured in Report to the President
December, 2007, Washington, D.C.
ITNAmerica was featured in The Small Business Economy: A Report to the President, an annual series used by policymakers, academics, librarians, and others to learn more about small firms.
ITNAmerica is one of eight examples of social entrepreneurship included in a chapter by Andrew Wolk of Root Cause titled "Social Entrepreneurship and Government: A New Breed of Entrepreneurs Developing Solutions to Social Problems."
Chad Moutray, Ph.D, Chief Economist & Director of Economic Research for the Small Business Administration, said, "Congratulations on being on the leading edge of this exciting phenomenon!"
Wolk, a senior lecturer in social entrepreneurship at MIT, describes social entrepreneurship as emerging at the nexus of the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Innovation is a key role of the private sector; providing public goods and services is a role of government; and engaging individuals in action to achieve social goals is a role of the nonprofit sector. Social entrepreneurship has emerged where these roles intersect.
Wolk's chapter represents one of the first explorations of the relationship between social entrepreneurship and government, and each case study showed a social-entrepreneurial initiative responding to some type of market failure, ranging from older Americans who must choose between their safety and their mobility, to building high-quality playgrounds in underserved communities.
Seven other specific programs used as case studies illustrating social entrepreneurial approaches include City Year, Benetech, KaBOOM!, New Leaders for New Schools, Resolve to Stop the Violence Program, Outside the Classroom, and Triangle Resident Options for Substance Abusers, Inc.
The chapter above can be found at http://www.rootcause.org/assets/files/SE_and_Gov_Wolk.pdf.