GTA Partnership To Support Military Heroes with the Veterans Resource Ride
Target Audience: This partnership was intended to target veterans on public transportation and their families along with the general community.
Strategy Objective:Enter...the GTA Veterans Resource Ride. We gave the exterior of a fixed-route bus a customized military look with camouflage colors, armed forces seals, Iwo Jima monument image and a rear POW/MIA flag. The interior was filled with placards of veteran-related services offered from local, state and national organizations. Our outreach to some agencies prompted customized artwork while for others we were able to retrieve print-ready ads from their websites, all of which we printed and installed in the ad racks. We planned to hold a socially-distant formal launch event on Veterans Day, but due to inclement weather, we proceeded with a simple media availability. attended by all four of our local television media outlets during a time of reduced Veterans Day recognition events due to COVID-1.
Situation Challenge: Seeking to connect with our community, GTA has supported the men and women of our armed forces for several years by offering transit discounts and participating in veteran-focused events. For 2020, we desired to take our support to the next level in a way that would make vets feel appreciated and help them access resource information to enhance their everyday lives especially in the midst of the pandemic.
Results Impact: During a time that people sought any good news in the community, the Veterans Resource Bus served as a positive respite from COVID and other other news of the day. As riders are continuing to return to transit use, they are able to see information from __ organizations and growing on healthcare, housing, education, employment and other areas available for veterans. The exterior design serves a rolling landmark representing GTA and the City of Greensboro's support for our armed forces.
Why Submit: This partnership brought together a coalition of veteran-supporting agencies to provide access to resources, even more important during the current pandemic. Seeing the bus on the streets helps instill pride in our community and honor those who served our country and connects our transit system with causes supported by our riders and the community.