JARC

For more than four years, one United Way initiative has provided Jefferson County residents with the transportation they need to remain self-sufficient. The Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) program has provided over 250,000 trips since its beginning in September 2000. The project focuses on implementing new and expanded transportation services where none exist for welfare transitioners and other low-income workers in Jefferson County.

Funding for the program comes from a U.S. Department of Transportation grant, which United Way first submitted in April 1999 along with the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) and the Birmingham Regional planning Commission. This collaborative partnership worked to secure requisite matching funds provided by UWCA, Jefferson County Department of Human Resources, and federal Welfare-to-Work grant funds. UWCA has continued to work in collaboration with BJCTA, the Jefferson County Office of Community Development, Jefferson County DHR and United Way agencies such as United Cerebral Palsy to provide transportation to training and employment for youth and adults.

For more information, please contact Meschelle Johnson, Transportation Manager, at 205-325-8787 or mjohnson@uwca.org.

United Way of Central Alabama Initiatives:

Central Alabama's Promise (CAP)
Birmingham Works for Youth
Ryan White Consortium
Success By 6
Transportation