Becky Gray, executive director of Building Health, Inc., and Cassie Jones, the organization’s transportation program manager, asked the Crawford County Commission for a letter of support for the nonprofit’s Kansas Department of Transportation grant application.
Gray said Building Health applied for KDOT funding under the 5011 and 5010 programs and that the county’s endorsement would be nonfinancial: “we like to come speak with you all, share what we've done in your county this past year, and then ask for a letter of support. So not a financial commitment, but a letter acknowledging that the work we're doing here is useful to citizens of Crawford County.”
The commissioners voted to provide a letter of support and authorized the chairman to sign it.
Why it matters: Building Health operates the Caravan program in the region and provides general public transportation and nonemergency medical transportation (NEMT) that the organization says is heavily used by older and low-income residents. The county endorsement is a typical step in KDOT grant applications and may strengthen Building Health’s request for state funds that require local match.
Program scope and ridership: Gray told commissioners that for the July 2024–June 2025 year Building Health provided roughly 6,800 rides that originated in Crawford County; about 4,200 were billed to KDOT’s general public program and just over 2,000 were NEMT trips billed to Medicaid or insurers. She also said the program logged over 300 rides turned down between February and August (about 47 per month) because the operator lacked capacity.
Funding and constraints: Gray and Jones explained KDOT funds cover a portion of operating costs and local match is required. “KDOT pays for 80% of the funding and we have to come up with either 30 or 20%, locally, depending on which program we're talking about,” Gray said. The Community Health Center Southeast Kansas has been covering shortfalls while Building Health seeks stable local matches and is exploring vehicle lease agreements with Enterprise to stabilize fleet costs.
Commission questions and clarifications: Commissioners asked whether most rides were medical; Jones confirmed they were. Staff explained CCAP operates a separate fixed-route service in portions of the county; Building Health’s Caravan provides countywide dial-a-ride and door-to-door service, including wheelchair accessibility. Gray noted the program also provides transportation for the 11th Judicial District’s recovery court under a reimbursable agreement.
What was decided: The commission authorized a county letter of support for Building Health’s KDOT grant application and directed staff to prepare the signed letter.
Background & next steps: Gray left commissioners with contact information and a sample letter of support. Building Health will include the county letter with its 5011/5010 KDOT application; Gray and Jones said the organization will continue to seek local matching funds and to track turned-down ride requests to demonstrate unmet demand.