Golden Empire Transit Food Distribution Campaign to increase ridership

Target Audience: The Golden Empire Transit District's (GET) October 12, 2018, Food Distribution & Resource Fair was a special event developed to target low-income residents in Bakersfield, California. GET targeted individuals and families dealing with long-and-short-term poverty issues affecting their ability to access food. These same individuals represent a large portion of GET's "captive" riders who do not have access to a personal vehicle and depend exclusively on GET for transportation needs.

Strategy Objective:The primary strategy behind the GET Food Distribution & Resource Fair special event was to partner with Cap K Food Bank in Bakersfield and utilize a GET bus as a vehicle for food distribution to current and potential GET riders in the downtown Bakersfield community on October 12, 2018. On that date, 250 bags of non-perishable food items were delivered to families and individuals responding to targeted marketing promoting the event. The objective was to stage this special event on a quarterly cycle and tailor distribution levels based on the success/attendance of the October 12 event.

Situation Challenge: The median income in Bakersfield in 2017 was estimated to be $58,669. However, only three percent of GET riders responding to a 2017 GET Customer & Community Satisfaction Survey indicated they made over $50,000 annually. Fifty-four percent of surveyed GET riders indicated an annual household income of less than $15,000. GET recognized the importance of giving back to this large ridership group in an impactful and meaningful way with the Food Distribution & Resource Fair.

Results Impact: The event was so well-attended and impactful to the Bakersfield community that the number of bags distributed to GET's current and potential riders will increase from 250 to 350 for the next special event scheduled for January 2019. The GET Food Distribution & Resource Fair special event helps solidify the GET brand as a trustworthy partner in the Bakersfield community. GET riders have been vocal in expressing their appreciation of the special event via posts on social media and direct communication with GET bus drivers and staff. The sheer number of individuals and families participating in the GET Food Distribution & Resource Fair suggests a positive, long-term, effect on ridership. Data shows ridership increased by 12,535 riders in October 2018 over October 2017.

Why Submit: Given rising food prices and the continued increase among the working poor over the past decade, food assistance programs remain vital to the survival of many in Bakersfield. A 2014 study by Feeding America, a network of 200 food banks, found one in seven Americans (46 million people) rely on food pantries and meal service programs to feed themselves and their families. In Bakersfield, the people relying on food banks are often the same people relying on GET. GET's mission is to make life better by connecting people to places one ride at a time. The process of helping the hungry helps GET fulfill that mission by providing a place for those in need to access food. The special event also provides economic benefits to Bakersfield by increasing access to and awareness of public transportation.