TAP driver Jon Howe with his husband Alan Gossett.
It’s widely accepted that being stuck at home doesn’t significantly improve our quality of life. Humans are social creatures; there aren’t enough sourdough recipes or Zoom meetings in the world to replace time spent with our loved ones in person.
For some, leaving the house may be as easy as getting in the car or walking down the street to the bus stop. However, for many Snohomish County residents, access to public transportation is not always so easy.
Lynnwood-based nonprofit Homage is working to solve this problem. Thanks to a recent $418,000 donation from the Washington State Department of Transportation and private donations, the organization’s transportation assistance program can expand its services so more people can get out of their homes and back into community life.
Founded in 1974, Homage is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and the largest provider of mental health, nutrition, transportation, home repair and care coordination services to low-income seniors and people with disabilities in Snohomish County.
Because 70% of Homage’s funding comes from state grants, the company relies on limited resources to survive each grant cycle. But after receiving a grant for a pilot program to improve transportation services in the county, Homage found itself running out of money due to a sharp increase in ridership.
Howe prepares for a ride.
Juli Rose, senior director of government-funded programs at Homage, attributes the increase in ridership to the rising cost of living in urban areas.
“As life in cities becomes more expensive, people will move to the outskirts where there is no public transportation,” she said recently.
The organization was faced with the decision to cut the services of a program that had just been expanded: the number of passengers was reduced and trips were only permitted for medical appointments and work purposes.
When one of the program’s users, Alan Gossett, tried to arrange accessible transportation for his husband, Jon Howe, this spring, Homage was unable to accommodate him due to budget cuts — which would have left Howe essentially stuck at home until the end of 2025.
Gossett took it upon himself to write a letter to the Department of Transportation and raise awareness of the importance of transportation. Thanks to Gossett and Howe’s efforts, as well as growing public support, Homage was able to secure the funding TAP needed for the coming year. The funds went into effect on June 1.
How to use TAP?
The additional money will enable over 8,700 trips to be made next year. TAP can now also offer Saturday trips and take passengers on shopping trips and social visits. For Rose, the expansion of TAP means “that people don’t just have to sit at home and wait for a doctor’s appointment to qualify for a trip. It’s about quality of life.”
Mike Gantala, a TAP driver for 20 years, is convinced that the program has helped him become independent.
“I don’t have to rely on my parents,” he said of the program. “Without TAP, I would be housebound.”
Losing transportation would not only deny Gantala access to the community, but would also deprive the community of Gantala’s services. He uses TAP to get to his jobs – one of which is the Sky Valley Food Bank, which provides food to 1,300 families in the Monroe area. The people Gantala serves depend on him, just as he depends on Homage.
“I wouldn’t be able to do all the things in the community the way I do now,” he said.
TAP driver Mike Gantala.
While Gantala is pleased about the additional funds for the transport sector, he is still concerned about the future and whether TAP will be able to meet increasing demand and continue to receive sufficient government subsidies.
Rose raised similar concerns not only about TAP but also about Homage’s other programs. For example, the number of people using the organization’s mental health services is expected to double this year, and there are more than 100 people on the waiting list for Meals on Wheels and minor home repairs.
“As a nonprofit, we find that demand always exceeds funding,” Rose said.
Despite limited resources, Homage will not change its commitment to Snohomish County, Rose said – nor its desire to provide users with an improved quality of life and independence.
To find out if you qualify for TAP travel, call (425) 423-8517.
