Thank You New River Community Action (NRCA) for choosing Sonny Merryman for your new type-A Thomas Minotour bus!
New River Community Action (NRCA) is excited to announce a new transportation option for children in the Shawsville and Elliston areas to attend Head Start classes in Christiansburg for the upcoming 2021-2022 preschool year. After several years without a transportation offering for Shawsville and Elliston, NRCA has purchased a bus to be used in these communities, and it was delivered to Christiansburg Head Start on March 3.
“This bus will deliver materials for at-home learning, be able to pick children up whose parents want them to have in-person instruction, and deliver food from this center,” said Sheryl Helm, Director of Early Childhood and Family Services for NRCA.
Head Start is a federally funded Pre-Kindergarten program providing low-income children between the ages of three and five years old with various experiences to help them develop socially, cognitively, physically, and emotionally. The NRCA Head Start mission is to build on the unique strengths of children and families through positive engagement, health education, and a quality Pre-Kindergarten experience.
The program takes place from August until May, with full-day and part-day options available. Children must be between age three and five, meet family income guidelines, and have a current physical with immunizations documentation. For more information or to enroll, please call the Christiansburg Head Start Center at (540) 381-7559 or e-mail mdefranco@nrcaa.org.
“We’ll be able to provide comprehensive services which are not just educational but include family and a mental health component. We will not only be able to serve the children, but serve the family,” said Katie Collins, NRCA’s Facilities and Transportation Coordinator, “In the Shawsville and Elliston areas, which is where we are targeting with this bus, there is just a large gap in access to Head Start. The families live in our service area, but they can’t make it to us.”
The bus purchase was made possible with funding awarded through the CARES Act; the federal stimulus package passed last March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. NRCA opened a competitive grant process that attracted four bidders and awarded the bid to the Sonny Merryman company. Merryman delivered the bus to the Christiansburg office and provided an orientation for all Head Start staff.
“I’m excited because Christiansburg Head Start did lose transportation a few years ago because our budget could not afford a afford a new bus.” Collins continued, “With the CARES Act funds, we were able to put a bus back here where we would not normally have been able to do so.”
The bus is a 23-passenger 2020 Chevy/Thomas Built School Bus with many great features that will give the children a safe and fun ride. Each seat is equipped with lap belts and IMMI STAR 5pt child passenger restraints. Additional features include a backup camera system, child reminder system, LED light package, and heated/remote mirrors. A Head Start bus monitor is always on board in addition to the driver to assist the children.
NRCA is hiring qualified drivers with a CDL on a part-time basis. We offer competitive wages and a great working environment. Interested applicants can visit newrivercommunityaction.org/nrca-jobs for more information.
Head Start is a program of New River Community Action, Inc. NRCA offers hope and help through services that meet basic needs, strengthen families, promote school readiness and economic stability to improve the lives of over 8,000 people each year. For more information, visit newrivercommunityaction.org.
Story originally published by nrvsnews.org.