link to services and programs pagecommunity program sites pagechore services pagebusiness partners pagedonors and friends pageresources available for individuals with disabilities pagefrequently asked questions pageemployment pagenavigation bar ESR team council

ESR is a private,
nonprofit organization.
To learn more about ESR programs and services,
call us at 651-351-0190.

 

By the numbers...
$52 fills a car*
$124 fills a 12-passenger van*
$160 fills a lift-bus*

*At $4/gallon

*****

From the Executive Director

The effect of high fuel cost on ESR is significant. Most of our consumers rely on us to get them from their home to their job. That simple employment element is of equal importance to them as your vehicle is to most of you.

We’re doing our part to be efficient in the operation of the business. Employers and consumers have done their part to assist us in accommodation whenever possible. I’m confident our supporters will also do their part and support us so that all necessary services can continue to be delivered.

Times are tough, but together we’ll meet the challenge and support consumers in their journey toward community integration.

Ed Boeve

Unstable gas prices hitting ESR transportation services hard

Filling the gas tank in a car is uncomfortable these days. Magnify it by more than 30-plus cars, mini-vans and lift-buses and the discomfort quickly becomes a pain sharp enough to take your breath away.

This breathless feeling is the reality ESR faces as the agency’s fleet drives nearly 3,500 miles a day and sees more and more of its budget going for fuel. The alarming trend leaves fewer and fewer dollars available for other programs and services ESR provides.

“We transport every consumer at least twice a day, five days a week,” said Ed Boeve, executive director. “Gas prices are definitely hitting us hard.”

It takes from $52 to $160 per tank for the weekly fill-ups of ESR’s vehicles, with the lift-buses costing the most in a single fill. The agency’s transportation specialists work hard to keep ESR’s vehicles running in top shape to maximize fuel efficiency. They also plan routes carefully, making sure that the appropriate-sized vehicle is dispatched and that it is as full as possible with consumers on its return trip.

The government provides some assistance in transporting consumers. However, the 2 percent increase given each year from 2005-2007 does not cover the 47 percent increase in fuel costs paid by the agency during the same period.In the first six months of this year alone, fuel prices rose another 27 percent.

Making up the difference means fewer dollars for ESR to put into other programs for those it serves.

“The impact on our budget is significant,” said Boeve. “We are going to have to work harder than ever to be efficient in our routing and in identifying as many cost savings as possible in other areas.”