Pictured above is the “Mary-Go-Round” free shuttle service which is now serving seniors in the Marysville area.
(Photo submitted)
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Ohio State is partnering with a local organization to make it easier for older community members to get from place to place.
The Ohio State University College of Social Work’s Age-Friendly Innovation Center (AFIC), in collaboration with Union County Neighbor 2 Neighbor (N2N), recently announced a new free shuttle designed specifically for Marysville’s older population.
The service will help adults aged 50 and up frequent places they need to go for groceries, prescriptions, household goods and activities.
On April 4, the city’s first “Mary-Go-Round” free shuttle service launched from the Helen Evans apartments, 821 Milcrest Drive, running every Thursday to scheduled stops including Meijer, Walmart, Kroger and other community destinations. Shuttles and drivers will be provided by A Way Out Employment, LLC.
“It is such a pure joy to know that we have another means of transportation to get us to the stores,” says Cathy Lovelace, a Helen Evans resident. “We can ride it around the entire day. With the Mary-Go Round, I was able to get my hair professionally cut. I can actually go clothes shopping. I haven’t been able to do those things in three years. It’s wonderful to get out of the apartment, be on board and in fellowship with the other people out there in the world!”
The shuttle service is made possible through a grant to the AFIC from the Honda Corporation and was developed in partnership with Neighbors to Neighbors, Bridges Community Action and A Way Out.
The shuttles will be equipped for individuals in wheelchairs. Riders and passengers will be responsible for carrying their own bags on and off the shuttles.
The Mary-Go-Round is part of Phase 2 of a study being conducted by the college’s Age-Friendly Innovation Center. Information will be gathered on the experiences of the riders using the Mary-Go-Round over the next year. A report with findings will be written and presented, potentially giving Marysville and other cities insight into the needs of its aging population regarding their daily transportation needs.
“At Honda, creating products that help us move on land, in water or through the skies continues to be our driving inspiration,” said Yvette Hunsicker, vice president, Corporate Social Responsibility for American Honda. “We are proud to support the Mary-Go-Round free shuttle service that will bring the joy and freedom of mobility to so many people in the Marysville community.”
The shuttle route begins at 10 a.m. every Thursday at Helen Evans and stops at Windsor Senior Center, Residences at Maple Green, Community and Seasoned Citizens, Meijer, Walmart and Kroger and repeats this route continuously for 5 loops ending at 3 p.m. For more information, those interested may call 614-398-8849.