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Local volunteers are pulling out all the stops to deliver meals to those 60 and over who are following County guidance to stay home amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The program is a collaboration between several key organizations.

United Way of Lewis County is handling financials and volunteer recruitment. Lewis County Seniors is taking care of meal preparation. And Twin Transit is delivering meals. Other key organizations like Catholic Community Services and local school districts are pitching in as well to make the program a success.

It has been a flurry of activity since the program started – including one day where over 800 meals were prepared!

Volunteers are needed to fill important roles. Please visit VolunteerLewis.org and click on United Way of Lewis County to sign up for this project. If you have questions or need meal deliveries, please contact 1-855-581-9495 Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Lewis County Public Health & Social Services highly encourage individuals age 60 and over to remain in their homes at this time. This precautionary measure is critical to protecting Lewis County’s vulnerable populations against the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

While necessary, this step will be difficult for many, particularly those who depend on local senior centers for food, socialization and other services.

United Way of Lewis County, Lewis County Seniors and Twin Transit are partnering to help our senior citizens during this difficult time. These organizations are joining forces as the Lewis County Community Services Team to deliver food to those age 60 and over who are following county guidance to self-quarantine at home.

“This partnership ensures that our seniors can stay home and protected, without having to worry about where their next meal will come from,” said Lewis County Seniors Executive Director Glenda Forga. “Safety is everyone’s top priority right now. Through this partnership, we can keep our seniors safe – and well cared for.”

The group is also devising an action plan to mobilize additional resources to support this vulnerable population, in coordination with key community organizations like Catholic Community Services and local school districts.

Volunteers are needed to fill important roles. Please visit VolunteerLewis.org and click on United Way of Lewis County to sign up for this project. If you have questions or need meal deliveries, please contact 1-855-581-9495 Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Twin Transit is extending routes into East Lewis County during Mountain Highway’s temporary closure. This extension of services is designed to ensure rural residents can access important amenities and services during the COVID-19 shutdown. The new East County Route will begin on March 20, 2020 and operate four trips per day, Monday through Friday, until Mountain Highway service resumes. Click here for a full route map and timetables.

Routes will depart from Walmart North Side Bus Stop and loop between Chehalis and Packwood Senior Center via I-5 and Highway 12 from:

• 6:30 am to 9:58 a.m.
• 10:30 a.m. to 1:58 p.m.
• 12:30 p.m. to 3:58 p.m.
• 4:30 p.m. to 7:58 p.m.

*For current departure times, visit TwinTransit.org and click “Find Your Bus.”

The East Lewis County Route will stop at:

• Salkum Timberland Library
• Mayfield Texaco
• Mossyrock Community Center
• Chevron and Subway in Morton
• Glenoma Grocery
• Gene and Barb’s Grocery
• J & L in Randle
• Randle One Stop
• Packwood Senior Center
• Chehalis Walmart

*This route will not service the Onalaska area. If you live in the Onalaska area and need service, please call the number below.

For current departure times, visit TwinTransit.org and click “Find Your Bus.”

Please check TwinTransit.org frequently for route updates and other information. Call 360-330-2072 with any questions.

This month, Twin Transit’s Lesley Jackson rallied the team around an important cause – collecting coats for those in need.

In total, the group collected 70 coats: 30 adult jackets for the Lewis County Gospel Mission and 40 kids’ coats for Immanuel Lutheran Church’s kids’ closet.

“The whole effort was a huge success,” said Twin Transit Community Relations Director Andrea Culletto. “Our team got into the spirit and donated so many more coats than we’d even dreamed. Their kindness never ceases to amaze me. We’re especially grateful for Lesley, who is always thinking of ways we can better support our community.”

Twin Transit has partnered with local schools to create an exciting new student bus pass program! Students at Centralia High School and W.F. West can now get a semester-long bus pass for only $10 – right at their school.

This makes it easier for kids to get around town, to after-school jobs, and access upper level educational opportunities. Plus, the spring pass extends through the summer months, giving students access to the Boys and Girls Club, local pools, libraries and more.

W.F. West students can buy their pass at the W.F. West ASB Office. Centralia High School students can purchase their pass at the CHS main office.

The program will roll out at Futurus High School and Turning Point soon.

Twin Transit recently launched a new Books on the Bus program in partnership with Timberland Regional Library, Shakespeare & Company and Rotary!

It’s just like it sounds: little free libraries in each Twin Transit bus. How cool is that?!

Hop on the bus, borrow a book, read it at your leisure, and return it to the book holder when you’re done – then repeat!

Timberland Regional Library and Shakespeare & Company are stocking these rolling libraries with a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, teen and children’s titles. The program will make good literature more readily available, enhance literacy, and provide hours of uplifting entertainment. After all, there’s nothing better than a good book!

This program coincides with the launch of our new student bus pass program, which has been created in partnership with Centralia High School, Futurus, and W.F. West.

This program allows high school students to get a semester-long bus pass for only $10 – right at their school. This makes it easier for kids to get around town, to after-school jobs, and access upper level educational opportunities.  

Hope is everywhere this time of year, but nowhere do I see it more clearly than in our own riders. The Twin Transit team kicked off December with a “12 Days of Christmas Food Drive,” offering a free ride in exchange for a nonperishable food donation. It seemed like a good way to gather donations for a good cause and, as most canned goods are cheaper than daily fare, save our riders some money during the holiday season.

I never dreamed how generously our riders would respond. Although only one nonperishable food item was needed to ride, they showed up with bags full. Many donated even though they’d already purchased a monthly pass. Some donors are short on food themselves. Others donated even though they don’t have a place to call home. Their unconditional generosity is what this season is all about. It fills me with hope – that even in these darkest of winter months, together, we can turn on the light.