The United Way of Knox County has acquired a vehicle for a new mobile outreach effort called United on Wheels.
United Way Executive Director Scott Charleston and Vincennes YMCA CEO Dennis Kordes traveled to Toledo, Ohio, on Wednesday to pick up the bus after the purchase was covered through a grant.
The vehicle will be renovated by volunteers, with a goal of placing the new United on Wheels bus into service later this spring.
Charleston said the idea is to strengthen the community through outreach by bringing services into neighborhoods and local communities.
He said the program will expand the organization’s ability to reach more people, increase awareness of existing services and offer pop-up resources. Plans include book outreach with the library, food distribution through Helping His Hands and mobile ultrasounds provided by Heart-to-Heart in communities such as Oaktown and Decker that are not always reached by traditional services.
Charleston said the bus will be equipped with computers and free Wi-Fi for people applying for jobs or needing other services.
He emphasized that the purchase price of the bus, the renovation, insurance and some fuel costs are all being covered by the grant, and said no money came out of Knox County and nothing was pulled from anybody else.
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Listen to the full interview: Scott Charleston joins Dane Foley on WVUB’s Community Connection.
