MISSION STATEMENT

Perdidos is a newly formed non-profit corporation designed to coordinate available transportation services in West Virginia. People who are deeply committed to the people of West Virginia formed Perdidos and all of us, starting with the Board of Directors down, believe that this company can fill a great need in this state.

One of the largest problems in West Virginia today is transportation. Go out into any county and ask a group of senior citizens if they have had trouble finding ways to get to the doctor, grocery store or to pick up medicines at the drug store. Even in areas where there is some transportation, it is so hit and miss that most people, even social workers and their associates do not know what is available in their areas

Perdidos has initiated a three-year pilot program that will increase community knowledge of transportation services and connct people with these services. We have developed a state wide data base on numbers of people needing transportation and the transportation available to them. This information changes from month to month as new programs go in and people either start or stop providing transportation in various counties. Our program will also identify areas of need throughout West Virginia thus allowing numerous types of programs and companies to use this information to start new transportation services statewide.

West Virginia has a population that is the oldest in the nation and is predominately low-income and rural. These populations are particularly vulnerable to impaired access to health care and other programs that they need to use. As such these groups merit a special focus for transportation research, including low-income groups, racial and ethnic minority groups, women, children, the elderly and individuals with special health care needs. Persistent disparities in health and economic status and access to appropriate social services continue to be documented for certain groups. Healthy People 2010 states that "Access to quality care is important to eliminate health disparities and increase the quality and years of healthy life for all persons in the United States." We feel that no where is this more important than in West Virginia. What little information that we do have on transportation needs among West Virginia Residents is simply anecdotal because this matter has not been examined in a systematic comprehensive way on a statewide level.

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