The Beverly Foundation’s mission is to foster new ideas and options to enhance mobility and transportation for today’s and tomorrow’s older adults. The Foundation is a pioneer in identifying, documenting, and preparing informational and technical materials on STPs (Supplemental Transportation Programs for seniors) in America. Its major program agendas include STAR Search research on transportation options, STAR Awards for excellence in transportation service delivery, Volunteer Driver Programs as a means for providing low cost transportation services, and a vast library of resources related to senior transportation.
The Foundation’s STAR Search program has gathered information on more than 1,400 services that provide transportation to older adults in communities across America. In 2011 alone its survey of 281 programs identified the delivery of 5,000,000 rides to 300,000 senior passengers. Since 2000, the Foundation’s STAR Awards program has conveyed 115 STAR Awards ranging from $500 to $20,000 to transportation programs that provide services to senior passengers. In 2012 STAR Awards will average $10,000 for a total of $180,000. While STPs in the Foundation’s database include many types of transportation services, more than 800 of them include volunteer drivers. Activities related to volunteer driver programs emphasize methods of organizing and providing low-cost transportation services to senior passengers. The Foundation’s Library contains informational, technical, and resource materials, most of which address senior transportation options. Included are fact sheets, brochures, reports, white papers, and workbooks. Most of the materials are introduced by an abstract which is linked to the full publication.
