COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The rides that the Colonie Senior Services Centers (CSSC) usually provide to 1,400 residents a month is in jeopardy. Executive Director Noelle Schmidt said her organization has been providing these rides since the 1980s.
“Right now, the only transportation we’re doing is for our own residents,” said Schmidt. “We’re using our operating money to continue that.”
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Schmidt says that she received a letter from the town during the first week in her role saying that the funding for 2026 would not continue. The news meant that the rides CSSC provided for seniors in Colonie for things like doctor appointments, grocery shopping and haircuts could not continue. Don Anderson, a driver for CSSC, said seniors would cancel their appointments when his service was booked, just to avoid needing to use a different ride service.
“They’ll change [their] appointment. They’ll call me back. They’ll call their doctor if their appointment changes, so that we can give them a ride,” said Anderson. “That’s happened often.”
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For Lynn McGuire, the services have helped her mother get to the day program she attends. McGuire said the drivers have always been kind and compassionate when giving her mother rides…