By Karen Pellicano, Community Health Case Coordinator
In my work, I encounter a number of challenges in getting people the help they need. Transportation is a lynchpin, and it impacts access to many other forms of assistance. Lack of transportation limits medical care, access to medicine and healthy foods, the ability to find work, visit family, get to child care, and so on. In our rural region, transportation access and availability is a big issue. In this blog post, I’ll talk about the barriers to transportation in our area, the resources currently available and how you can play a part in addressing it.
The Problem as I see it
Getting to Work: One of the struggles people are facing is the need for transportation to work. Small towns have limited employment opportunities, and most people need a car. There is no public transportation service in our region that can get you to another town. Some local people are walking over 10 miles each way to get to work. I’ve met several people who lost their jobs because of lack of reliable transportation. In addition, if you are collecting SNAP or Medicaid benefits, the new eligibility rules dictate that you need to work a minimum of 20 hours a week or 80 hours a month. People who receive these benefits are less likely to have reliable access to a vehicle, and this creates a barrier to adhering to the eligibility requirements.
Food and medication access: Many medical procedures require appointments before, during and after the actual procedure. This can mean 4 to 5 appointments in Concord over a few weeks. Several local seniors have opted not to have procedures, because they were not comfortable that they could get into town that often. Access to medical services is already difficult, but transportation barriers can make it feel impossible.
I recently spoke with a senior who does not drive. They explained that they ask friends to take them over to Shaws to pick up groceries or prescriptions that cannot be sent through their mail order pharmacy. Each time they need a ride, they are asked to pay for gas to get to Hillsboro. In 2025, they paid over $700 just to get to Shaws.
Current Transportation Resources in our Area:
- Keep NH Moving connects people to available transportation in their area. If you visit their website, and select transportation in the Monadnock Area, it has several services available in Keene. One in Vermont and volunteer service for the rest of the area.
- The Community Volunteer Transportation Company (CVTC) is a volunteer organization that matches volunteer drivers with people who need transportation. They require a 5 day notice period to match riders to drivers, and drivers are reimbursed for mileage. They are always looking for volunteers and do a fantastic job helping people get to doctors appointments, grocery stores, banks, post offices or pharmacies. Because they rely on volunteers, they are not able to meet the transportation needs of everyone in the area, but if they are unable to match a rider to a driver, they notify the rider within two days so they can move or cancel appointments. It’s important to note that if you live outside of the ConVal school district, CVTC isn’t able to provide service. If you live in the Hillsborough Area, you can call Belknap Merrimack CAP Volunteer Driver Program (BMCAP) to access their volunteer ride service. It is volunteer based as well and they also require a week’s notice to match a driver to a ride.
- The River Center in Peterborough recently started a program called P-22 with Sweenfleez driving service. They will offer a one time ride to a medical appointment and request a 5 day notice period. The River Center has a grant to pay for this service, but because it is a paid service, they need to limit the amount of rides available. Sweenfleez has extended the same discount rate to the Grapevine, and we are able to pay for rides as well. These are paid rides, but even with the discounted rate, a trip to Concord will easily cost $200.
- Medicaid and Medicare offer reimbursements to drivers that transport family members or friends to medical appointments, and Medicaid has a ride service for patients to go to medical appointments. They too request a five day notice to find a ride. In those instances, Medicaid pays for the ride to and from the doctor, but they do not support stops at a pharmacy or grocery store.
- The Peterborough Area Community Aid (PACA) can assist with paying for car repairs. PACA will support families in the ConVal school district who use the Peterborough Food Pantry. If you live in the Hillsboro area, PACA is not able to provide service. There are other charities that can sometimes help with a car repair bill, but funding is limited. If you need help with a car repair, please let me know and we can brainstorm ideas. Often two or three organizations will come together to cover the cost.
So if you have a doctor’s appointment, and have a week’s notice, you can work within the existing system and get a ride to and from your appointment. If you have a medical emergency, you can call 911. But what about getting to work? Or a grocery store? Or even a food pantry? In provider agency meetings throughout the area, this is such a common challenge that we discuss it at almost every single meeting. It’s become part of the language. “So-and-so was going to sign up for job help but… transportation.” “That person couldn’t get to the hospital to visit their loved one because… transportation.” “There’s a great program for that in Keene but… transportation.”
What we can do:
People frequently call the Grapevine and ask how they can help. In my own role, I saw an opportunity to help people reach me more easily and have started offering appointments at the Hillsboro Library, schools, the Family Health Center in Hillsboro and other sites, because getting to the Grapevine can be an issue for people who lack transportation.
If you have time to volunteer, check out CVTC or BMCAP to sign-up to be a driver. Because of insurance limitations, scheduling and capacity, we can’t reinvent the wheel, but by supporting other agencies who are already doing this work, you can be an active part of the transportation solution.
- If you attend a church, let your pastor know you’d be willing to offer rides to other parishioners.
- If you are going to the grocery store, check in on your neighbor and see if they need you to pick something up for them.
- If you are headed into Concord or Keene, consider taking a friend and running errands together.
This really is an issue where every little bit helps, even if it’s just being aware of the needs of your neighbors and stepping up when you can! Give us a call or email us if you’d like more ideas on how you can be a part of the solution!
