The Limestone County Council on Aging received a new 2024 Ford Transit 350 Thursday, Jan. 30, a significant upgrade to their transportation department that offers essential services to seniors in need.

From 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. every Monday through Friday, seven COA drivers help transport seniors to activity centers, grocery stores, medical appointments and dental appointments all across the county.

“We are all assigned a different route each morning,” Leslie Williams, a long time driver with the Council on Aging, told The News Courier. “We may have to go to Tanner one morning and East Limestone the next, but it’s all worth it. It can be busy at times, but it’s a good busy that’s for sure.”

The other COA drivers include Cathy Roberston, Lisa Flanagan, Sonya Berzett, Leslie Bailey, Felicia Powers and Cynthia Raybon.

According to COA Director Heidi Stinnett, their transportation department averaged a staggering 685 trips per month in 2024 — a number that excluded the nearly 1,000 trips they take for their weekly Meals-on-Wheels program in which they deliver nutritious lunches to qualified homebound seniors who are unable to cook for themselves.

“It can not be understated how important our transportation department is,” Stinnett said. “We service a lot of people, so this new bus is very important to add to our fleet of vehicles. It’s a huge addition to the team as we continue to grow and move forward as a whole. It takes everyone to accomplish as much as we’ve accomplished and I think that’s because we are all on board when it comes to helping our seniors in Limestone County.”

The acquisition of the new handicap accessible bus was made possible through a grant from the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), a process that according to Stinnett was two years in the making.

The upgrade to the COA’s transportation department is particularly noteworthy, as the program has not seen a major update to their vehicles since the mid-2000s.

“I know a lot of our seniors have mentioned how excited they are to take a ride in the new bus,” Flanagan said. “Sometimes we might be the only people they talk to all day. Watching them have fun, and seeing the smiles on their faces when we pick them up makes the job that much better.”

For more information, and how to schedule a ride or volunteer to help deliver meals for the Meals-on-Wheels program, please contact the Limestone County Council on Aging at 256-233-6412.