NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The pandemic and winter season made it tough for our neighbors experiencing homelessness. They relied a lot on organizations like Open Table Nashville for transportation to shelters.
This winter, the nonprofit provides about 800 rides to area shelters. Open Table Nashville was able to achieve this by using donated church buses to drive unhoused Nashvillians to shelters when the temperature dropped below 28 degrees.
As we move into warmer weather, the organization said it will be focusing efforts on making sure the homeless community has access to a COVID-19 vaccine. Officials will also be advocating for better transportation options in Metro Nashville and to make it a city where everyone has access to housing, health care and transportation.
"Transportation isn't just something they need during the winter. They need it in order to escape the heat in the summer. They need it to get to their doctor’s appointments, to meet with their case managers. We’re still really adamant that the current transportation programs and bus pass programs that are in our community are not enough. They’re not working for our folks," said India Pungarcher, resource coordinator at Open Table Nashville.
The organization runs on donations. If you are interested in making a donation, click here for more information.
