Sacramento News & Review
Support Local Independent Journalism Sign up for our newsletter!
  • News
    • Crime Beat
    • COVID-19
    • police reform
  • Voices
    • Greenlight
    • Fifteen Minutes
    • Essay
    • Ask Joey
    • Ask 420
  • Arts+Culture
    • Dish
    • Music
    • Home & Garden
    • Rebooting the Arts
  • Calendar
  • Solving Sacramento
    • Rebooting the Arts
    • Housing
    • ABOUT SOLVING SACRAMENTO
  • Newsletter
  • Become a supporter
  • More…
    • Local Dining
    • SN&R Archive
    • Best of Sac
    • SAMMIES
    • Sponsored Content
    • Independent Journalism Fund
    • Letter to the Editor
    • Contact Us
Hot Topics
  • March 9, 2021 | In light of recent deaths, Sacramento City Hall faces reckoning on warming centers
  • March 24, 2023 | ‘Uprooted’ exhibit opens in Sacramento, commemorating the darkest moment – and the tale of survival – for Californians of Japanese descent
  • March 24, 2023 | California’s drought is not over
  • March 23, 2023 | Sacramento’s Miller Park becomes a safe ground for those experiencing homelessness
  • March 22, 2023 | Letters: Everything sucks everywhere all at once
  • March 21, 2023 | The Foilies 2023: Recognizing the worst in government transparency
Spotlight Community

SacRT and AmeriCorps team up

AmeriCorps volunteers are handing out free face masks for Sacramento transit riders. Photo courtesy of SacRT

By: Allen Pierleoni March 25, 2021

Sacramento Regional Transit District is always finding innovative ways to better serve its ridership and the community.

For instance, as a walk-up to last November’s general election, it partnered with Sacramento County and the Sacramento Kings for “Drive the Vote,” providing free transport to vote centers and ballot drop-box locations.

And SacRT’s “RydeFreeRT” program invites students to enjoy free passage aboard all of its transit services, benefiting more than 220,000 young people in the Sacramento region.

Now SacRT has teamed with AmeriCorps NCCC, the national volunteer-based society specializing in public service work. The joint program helps promote the federal mandate that requires passengers to wear face masks or coverings while they’re waiting at light rail stations and bus stops and while onboard any SacRT vehicle.

Free masks are available at SacRT’s Customer Service and Sales Center, key transit centers and stations, and on trains and buses upon boarding.

Getting a jump on that is AmeriCorps’ “Red Five Team,” five volunteers who hand out masks, other personal protective equipment and educational materials to SacRT riders. They also help with other SacRT outreach, such as pop-up events, surveys and social media. The program will run through mid-May.

“Because of COVID, there aren’t a lot of opportunities for young people to serve society right now, or feel like they’ve been involved in any kind of social solution over the past year,” says Quinn Walker, community relations specialist for AmeriCorps.

“AmeriCorps is one of the few service programs that’s been able to function during the pandemic,” Walker says. “The team members are getting a unique experience by supporting SacRT, one that gives them a sense of purpose and accomplishment.”

SacRT has become much more than a transit agency during the pandemic, Walker points out. “It has become an essential community service in health and social services, transporting essential workers and at-risk groups. AmeriCorps members are part of that process and do that crucial work in real time. They’re able to help make sure that SacRT riders are as safe as possible.”

The Red Five Team is part of the 324 AmeriCorps members, ages 18 to 26, serving out of the Sacramento Regional Campus in McClellan Park. The membership is formed into teams of five to 10 and travel to projects throughout the Western United States.

The Red Five Team is dividing its time between helping SacRT and serving at the Yolo County Food Bank.

TOPICS:AmeriCorpsface maskspublic trransportationSacramento Regional Transit DistrictSacRTvolunteers

Our content is free, but not free to produce

If you value our local news, arts and entertainment coverage, become an SN&R supporter with a one-time or recurring donation. Help us keep our reporters at work, bringing you the stories that need to be told.

Become a supporter
Newsletter

Stay Updated

For the latest local news, arts and entertainment, sign up for our newsletter.
We'll tell you the story behind the story.

    • Previous post
    • Next post

    About the Sponsor

    Sacramento Regional Transit District
    The Sacramento Regional Transit District, commonly referred to as SacRT, is the 2019 national TSA Gold Standard Security Award recipient for the highest standard of excellence and is the regional transit provider in the capital of California (the 5th largest economy in the world). It operates more than 80 bus routes, 43 miles of light rail serving 52 light rail stations and ADA paratransit services--all within a 400 square-mile service area throughout Sacramento County. This includes service in the cities of Sacramento, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom and Rancho Cordova. http://www.sacrt.com/

    Related Articles

    Arts+Culture, COVID-19

    Pandemic Heroes


    Arts+Culture, COVID-19, Voices

    Grassroots generosity


    Home & Garden, News

    Old City Cemetery looking a lot less rosy


    Arts+Culture

    Heart to Art with Janine Mapurunga


    Meet the sponsors

    • Berkeley Strategy Advisors
      Berkeley Strategy Advisors

      published 5 articles

    • BRIDGE Housing
      BRIDGE Housing

      published 3 articles

    • California Workforce Association
      California Workforce Association

      published 13 articles

    • City of Roseville
      City of Roseville

      published 4 articles

    • Del Paso Boulevard Partnership
      Del Paso Boulevard Partnership

      published 28 articles

    • Exotic Plants
      Exotic Plants

      published 6 articles

    • Joshua's House Hospice
      Joshua's House Hospice

      published 1 article

    • Midtown
      Midtown

      published 11 articles

    • N&R Publications
      N&R Publications

      published 5 articles

    • Northern California Research
      Northern California Research

      published 10 articles

    • Sacramento County Department of Child Support Services
      Sacramento County Department of Child Support Services

      published 5 articles

    • Sacramento County In-Home Supportive Services
      Sacramento County In-Home Supportive Services

      published 1 article

    • Sacramento Regional Transit District
      Sacramento Regional Transit District

      published 28 articles

    • SEIU
      SEIU

      published 30 articles

    • Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
      Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

      published 1 article

    • The California Endowment
      The California Endowment

      published 65 articles

    • Volunteers of America
      Volunteers of America

      published 8 articles

    • Workforce Development Board of Solano County
      Workforce Development Board of Solano County

      published 4 articles

    Our Sponsors

    Berkeley Strategy Advisors BRIDGE Housing California Workforce Association City of Roseville Del Paso Boulevard Partnership Exotic Plants Joshua's House Hospice Midtown N&R Publications Northern California Research Sacramento County Department of Child Support Services Sacramento County In-Home Supportive Services Sacramento Regional Transit District SEIU Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. The California Endowment Volunteers of America Workforce Development Board of Solano County

    Categories

    Community

    Tags

    2020 affordable housing art astrology Black Lives Matter board of supervisors budget California cannabis City Council city hall climate change coronavirus COVID-19 COVID-19 in Sacramento Donald Trump election food gardening gavin newsom George Floyd homeless homelessness horoscopes jobs Joe Biden letters Mayor Darrell Steinberg music november election pandemic police reform president donald trump presidential election protests public health sacramento sacramento county Sacramento police Sacramento Regional Transit District SacRT SEIU Stephon Clark strong mayor taxes
    Newsletter

    Stay Updated

    For the latest local news, arts and entertainment, sign up for our newsletter.
    We'll tell you the story behind the story.

      Recent Posts
      • ‘Uprooted’ exhibit opens in Sacramento, commemorating the darkest moment – and the tale of survival – for Californians of Japanese descent
      • California’s drought is not over
      • Sacramento’s Miller Park becomes a safe ground for those experiencing homelessness
      • Letters: Everything sucks everywhere all at once
      • The Foilies 2023: Recognizing the worst in government transparency
      Links
      • Newsletter Signup
      • Follow us on Twitter
      • Find us on Facebook
      • SN&R Archives
      • Best of Sac
      • SAMMIES
      • RSS
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Service
      • Contact Us
      Become a supporter
      Categories
      • 2020 election (86)
      • Arts & Culture (43)
      • Arts+Culture (414)
      • Ask Joey (1,017)
      • Behind the Issues (1)
      • Cannabis (39)
      • COVID-19 (312)
      • Crime Beat (101)
      • Dish (74)
      • Food (12)
      • Greenlight (492)
      • Home & Garden (77)
      • Housing (47)
      • Music (66)
      • News (1,160)
      • Rebooting the Arts (33)
      • Solving Sacramento (47)
      • Stage (8)
      • The arts (4)
      • Voices (477)

      © 2019+ Sacramento News & Review