From left, area senior June May is helped out of a Kosciusko Community Senior Services vehicle by driver Kenny Haack. The organization employs four drivers to help transport seniors from their homes and senior complexes for activities, grocery shopping, doctor’s appointments and any other need. Photo by Maksym Hart.

By Maksym Hart
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — For many older adults in Kosciusko County, maintaining independence often comes down to one question: how to get where they need to go.

Across the county, several programs from nonprofit agencies to senior care facilities are working together to ensure seniors can reach medical appointments, grocery stores and social activities without giving up their mobility or dignity.

One nonprofit, Kosciusko Senior Services, provides transportation for county residents age 60 and older, with handicapped-accessible vans and buses equipped with wheelchair lifts.

Riders use the service most often for medical and dental appointments, grocery trips, and weekly social activities such as bingo at the Senior Activity Center.

“We’re trying to meet the needs for health, nutrition and socialization,” said KSC manager Lee Ann Andrews. “Those are the things seniors need to stay healthy, active and connected.”

Pictured is Michael Creighton, driver for the Kosciusko Area Bus Service, or KABS program. Operated by the local Cardinal Center, the service takes its passengers in and around the county, with a recent addition adding daily routes through Warsaw and Winona Lake. Photo provided by the Cardinal Center.

Trips are scheduled at least 48 hours in advance, with four part-time drivers – many of them retirees – helping passengers from door to door.

“Our guys will push a lot of wheelchairs,” Andrews said. “They know the passengers, anticipate what they need and are very caring people.”

The service is supported by city, county and federal funding through REAL Services. Andrews said rising fuel costs and aging vehicles pose continuing challenges.

“Funding is always something we’re mindful of,” she said. “We try to save where we can, but demand is growing.”

Another service is Kosciusko Area Bus Service, or KABS, operated by Cardinal Services, which offers public transportation countywide.

The system provides both on-demand rides and a new “Lake City Loop” fixed route through Warsaw and Winona Lake, running weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“People call in to schedule rides 24 hours in advance,” explained Kristen Rude, KABS transportation general manager. “It’s curb-to-curb, so we’ll take someone from their home to the grocery store, a doctor’s office, or wherever they need to go.”

Fares range from $3 to $5 depending on distance, with discounted passes available.

A bus for Elder Haus Senior Center, 451 N Main St, Nappanee. Photo from the City of Nappanee’s official Facebook page.

The Lake City Loop costs $1 per ride or $20 per month for unlimited use, with optional deviations to accommodate riders unable to reach a stop.

Rude said affordability and accessibility are key benefits for seniors.

“Without these transportation options, people wouldn’t have that level of independence or quality of life,” she said. “We’re helping them stay active, get groceries and attend appointments safely.”

KABS also coordinates closely with Senior Services and other providers. “If they can’t do a ride or we can’t do a ride, we refer people to each other,” Rude said.

For senior living centers like Miller’s Merry Manor in Warsaw, transportation is built into daily care.

“It’s not something extra they have to pay for,” said Carrie Sturgill of Miller’s. “We take residents to doctor’s appointments, shopping, even family events or funerals.”

With a small fleet of wheelchair-accessible vans and a larger transit vehicle, Miller’s staff schedule rides for medical procedures, dialysis and monthly group outings.

“Our drivers are very flexible,” Sturgill said. “They’ll get residents to early morning surgeries or pick them up from late dialysis appointments.”

For seniors in southern Elkhart and northern Kosciusko, Elder Haus Senior Center’s Dignified Senior Transportation program provides free shared van rides within Nappanee.

The service assists riders with packages and offers curb-to-curb pickup on weekdays.

By removing cost barriers, Elder Haus aims to “enhance mobility and independence,” allowing older adults to access services, attend appointments, and stay socially engaged.

Between nonprofits like Senior Services, public systems like KABS, residential facilities such as Miller’s Merry Manor and community programs like Elder Haus, Kosciusko County’s senior transportation network continues to expand through collaboration.

“There’s a huge need in the community,” Rude said. “We’re growing to meet it and helping people stay connected and independent along the way.”