Monmouth County expanding senior services to include free rides to the food pantry

Similar to Ocean Counties "Ocean Ride", Monmouth County Freeholder John Curley have developed and expanded services provided to senior citizens with the Special Area Citizen Transportation Program also known as "SCAT" to provide free bus service for anyone 60-years of age and older who can't or shouldn't get behind the wheel for basics such as nutrition.

Monmouth County's Special Area Citizen Transportation program expands in an unexpected way, to help seniors maintain their nutrition.

It's a shared ride service where residents 60 and older can take the bus to go to the food pantry and get the necessities.

Curley says they've worked to increase services with the SCAT program to help residents avoid going hungry.

"We have those that are truly suffering (in Monmouth County)," said Curley. "I see them here in the social service division of county government and a lot of them can't afford to go to the grocery store. We're now going to provide this free transportation for them."

The programs expansion is due in part, he says, to the growing number of residents calling into the office of aging and division for help and not just for rides either.

"There were so many people calling in who literally didn't have the funds to go through our weekly trip to the grocery store," said Curley. "That is a sad commentary for a society and a county that is as wealthy as Monmouth County is."

He says any interested residents should continue calling the SCAT office to schedule a pick-up.

"The number is 732-431-6480 and that is option number one," said Curley.

He adds that very often seniors have too much pride to ask family or friends for help because they don't want to burden them.

If this program continues to expand, Curley explains they may add more transportation times and buses.

"As this program builds we'll be able to put more SCAT buses into that program as the need arises," said Curley.

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