The Voluntary Action Center, a northern Illinois community service organization, lost its paratransit contract with the City of DeKalb.
The nonprofit normally offers transportation for needy residents, such as the elderly and disabled. But starting next year, the work in DeKalb will go to Transdev, a company that provides and operates buses for the city’s consolidated transport system. VAC Executive Director Ellen Rogers said the financial impact is significant.
"We’re really in the process now of looking at what can be sustained with the revenues that we have, excluding that City of DeKalb contract," she said. "Obviously, when you’re losing 40% of your budget, it’s going to have an impact. And unfortunately, it’s going to have an impact agency-wide.”
Despite the change in contract, the VAC will still offer its transportation services in rural areas of DeKalb County. Other services, such as Meals on Wheels, are unaffected. And, Rogers noted, there are certain grants that VAC can use that Transdev can’t since it’s a corporate entity.