CENTRE COUNTY — Mid-State Literacy Council (MSLC) is launching “Fuel the Future,” an annual community donation drive aimed at collecting CATA bus tickets and Uber/Lyft rideshare gift cards to support adult students as they pursue critical education milestones.
In 2024, more than 10% of Centre County residents (5,935 households) did not have access to a vehicle according to the Centre County Metropolitan Planning Organization. Meanwhile, many adult students travel across State College and Centre County –often multiple times a week — to attend classes at MSLC’s downtown State College location and tutoring sessions in convenient public locations.
To take official career-specific exams like the GED, CDL, or NCLEX, students must travel to testing centers in Lewistown, Altoona, and Lock Haven. For those with limited financial resources, unreliable transportation can be a major roadblock.
With CATA bus rates recently rising to $2.50 per ride, affording regular bus travel and accessing educational opportunities is even more challenging. For some of our neighbors, this increase means a lot.
For example, if a student takes the bus to class six times per week, that’s twelve rides per week—adding up to around $120 per month, just for transportation.
“Transportation shouldn’t stand between someone and their goal of earning a GED, getting a job, or building a better life,” said Bridget Schell, Executive Director at Mid-State Literacy Council. “With something as simple as a bus ticket or ride share gift card, you can help someone access life-changing opportunities.”
In addition to offering free and low-cost classes, workshops, and one-on-one tutoring in reading, writing, math, technology, and English language skills, Mid-State Literacy Council works to remove common barriers adult learners face.
How to help
Donations can be made online at www.mid-stateliteracycouncil.org/donate or by check made payable to Mid-State Literacy Council, Note/Memo: Transportation Drive
Physical donations of CATA bus tickets and Uber/Lyft gift cards are also being accepted at Mid-State Literacy Council, 248 E. Calder Way, Suite 307, State College, PA 16801.
The CATA bus tickets are available at CATA’s Customer Service Center in downtown State College. For more information about the tickets, visit: https://catabus.com/catabus/fare-options-information/.
