Henry & Lois Goodman

CLEVELAND – Oct, 13, 2016 – Senior Transportation Connection (STC) raised more than $65,500 and honored founding board member and community leader Lois Goodman at its second annual fundraising gala on Oct. 13, 2016.  The event celebrated Mrs. Goodman’s leadership role in ensuring comprehensive, coordinated, efficient and affordable transportation is available to seniors and adults with disabilities throughout Cuyahoga County.

Family members, colleagues and friends thanked the Shaker Heights resident for her civic leadership. The dinner was held at Acacia Reservation Clubhouse, Lyndhurst, emceed by WKYC-TV anchor Russ Mitchell. Honorary co-chairs and sponsors were Audrey and Albert Ratner. Milton & Tamar Maltz were lead sponsors. Family members and friends highlighted Mrs. Goodman’s accomplishments, especially her efforts to establish STC. The evening’s proceeds will name a bus in her honor, as a lasting tribute to her significance to the agency.

The 190 guests included STC board member and Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation Executive Director Mitchell Balk, Shaker Heights Mayor Earl Leiken, Lyndhurst Mayor Patrick Ward and his predecessor Hon. Joseph M. Cicero, Jr. who chaired the event. Greater Cleveland RTA CEO and General Manager Joseph A. Calabrese, Cuyahoga County Public Library Executive Director Sari Feldman and former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Mary Boyle were also on hand to congratulate Mrs. Goodman.

STC was founded when several Cuyahoga County transportation providers began meeting informally to explore coordination and shared services. Lois was among the initial community leaders who drove this collaborative process that resulted in an effective public-private partnership that serves nearly 20,000 senior adults annually. STC further honored Lois this year by naming its Call Center in her honor during its annual meeting, when she completed her term as board Vice Chair. The Lois Goodman Call Center is the heartbeat of STC, a fitting tribute to someone who has been so essential to our success.

Lois’s lifelong volunteerism has included serving in leadership roles on boards such as the United Way Senior Success Vision Council, Jewish Federation of Cleveland, Montefiore, Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage and other organizations that contribute to this region’s vitality. Lois was the long-serving vice-chair of STC Board of Directors and she chaired the 2004 Strategic Planning Retreat that led to STC’s founding.

“It has been a privilege to see this program through, from its earliest beginnings to its current, coordinated and successful state,” Lois said. “I am not only honored by how STC fulfills its mission, but I am proud to live in a community it serves. Older adults in Shaker Heights have good access to health care, shopping and the other services they need to remain independent as they grow older.”

The not-for-profit STC was initially funded through Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation, Cleveland Foundation, United Way Senior Success Vision Council, Jewish Community Federation’s Community Services for Older Adults, Saint Luke’s Foundation, Deaconess Community Foundation and The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, among others. Today, 20 percent of its operating revenue comes from charitable donations.

Currently, 26 municipalities, Cuyahoga County Division of Senior and Adult Services, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) and other agencies contract with STC. Each pays the majority of the cost per trip. Riders pay a nominal portion of the fare.

“STC has its roots in communities and not-for-profit organizations that understood the significance of transportation for our constituents,” Executive Director Janice M. Dzigiel explained. “We are proud to be a model of collaboration that continues to attract new partners each year.”

STC serves Cuyahoga County residents who have mobility challenges due to age, lack of access, disability, frailty or inability to drive. Destinations include medical appointments, including dialysis and treatment; senior centers for meals and social activities; grocery shopping and personal errands.

STC employs 67 individuals and manages a fleet of more than 50 accessible vehicles with a capacity of up to 12 passengers each. The fleet logs nearly one million miles each year. For more information, visit www.ridestc.org or call 800.983.4782.