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Collaborating With Employers
By Nadir Abdi, Jewish Family Services of Columbus, Ohio
New immigrants often lack the financial ability to pay for monthly bus fees, much less to purchase a car. This particular issue has been one of my main obstacles as a career consultant for Jewish Family Services.
It’s one thing to have a job; it’s another to actually get to and from that job. This is an area where innovation is required. With a few small (and yet profound) adaptations, one company has taken it upon itself to break down the transportation barrier. One of the employers Jewish Family Services partners with is ABX Air, in Wilmington, Ohio, a business that specializes in cargo transportation.
ABX contracts coach buses from Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus, West Union and Springfield. In each of these cities it has organized pickup locations, or stops, where ABX employees may catch the bus to work for the low cost of $40 a month. The company is located 67 miles from Columbus, where most of our clients live.
Since 2005 Jewish Family Services has been able to place 200 refugees in jobs at ABX. For most of our clients, who constitute half of the ridership, the company’s innovative transportation plan has made a significant difference. A case in point is the story of Mohamed Dayo, who came to the United States from Somalia three years ago. In 2006, when Mohamed started to work the third shift at ABX, he was fortunate enough to live one block away from one of the pickup locations in Wedgewood on the west side of Columbus.
Had it not been for the company’s innovative shuttle bus system, Mohamed wouldn’t have been able to make the commute. In addition to saving money, the bus was comfortable, and its convenience enabled a newcomer like Mohamed to be on time. One thing I’ve found out, as a career refugee consultant, is that new immigrants really have trouble with time management. So this pickup system was a great way for them to avoid being late.
It’s now up to other employers to take it upon themselves to adopt this model. Everything that ABX has accomplished could easily be duplicated by others.
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Transportation:
Stories From the Field
Collaborating With Employers
It’s one thing to have a job; it’s another to actually get to and from that job. With a few small (and yet profound) adaptations, ABX Air, Wilmington, Ohio, has taken it upon itself to break down the transportation barrier. Click here for the full story.
Establishing a
Reverse Commuter Line
In Louisville, Kentucky, residents in job-scarce areas of the city had difficulty getting to work in the out-lying industrial areas – commuting on average two hours in each direction. The Transit Authority of River City (TARC) established an express route between West Louisville and the Bluegrass Industrial Park in 1997. After the reorganization, the travel time was reduced to 45 minutes. Read how this effort benefits refugees here.
Maryland Refugees
Gain Special Access to MVA
Obtaining a driver’s license is one of the largest barriers to employment, and for newcomers who live in Maryland, that obstacle used to be even larger. Automated phone systems and long lines kept many refugees waiting months for a driver’s license. Employment staff at the Baltimore Resettlement Center shared their concerns with the Maryland Office of New Americans, which in turn was able to strike a deal with the MVA. Read more about their efforts and the solution here.
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