Hire a transportation coordinator and part-time driver to provide safe, reliable transport to the Center for clients living with dementia.

Each weekday in Montecito and Carpinteria, adults with dementia gather to make music and art, do puzzles, go for a beach walk, pet a therapy dog, and play memory games, allowing their overwhelmed caregivers to work or simply take a break. Transportation is vital to the mission of Friendship Center, the region’s only affordable licensed day care program for adults with dementia-related conditions.

Until January 2025, a local transport service provided a way for members to reach the non-profit center so they could access critical services, therapeutic activities, and socialization. When this arrangement ended, many members became homebound and isolated. The burden again fell to their caregivers to either find transportation or manage 24-hour care on their own.

By funding a full-time transportation coordinator and part-time driver to provide safe, reliable transportation, the Women’s Fund will enable approximately 125 low-income seniors to access care, greatly reducing the burden on their family caregivers in the community.

https://friendshipcentersb.org/