Programs For Stranded Travelers Assistance – Being stranded is a frightening situation. Everyone has been stranded while traveling at least once in their lifetime either due to a misplaced ticket, missed bus or any other crisis. Fortunately, there are several faith-based organizations, churches and agencies that assist stranded travelers who get stuck in helpless situations.
Stranded travelers assistance programs are an initiative that aims to provide financial resources and temporary support to travelers in the United States who find themselves stranded because of unforeseen circumstances or crises. These organizations help stranded passengers reach their destination safely. This guide will throw light on programs that provide financial support for stranded travelers.
Highlights of this Post
What Is The Eligibility To Qualify For Stranded Travelers Assistance Programs?
Stranded travelers assistance programs address the risk of being stranded in locations with no facilities and so these programs solve needy people across the nation. The eligibility criteria for stranded travelers assistance programs may vary however generally these programs cover the following group of people.
- Victims of natural disaster
- Families or individuals facing personal emergencies
- Individuals facing transportation disruptions
- A parent with a child
- Veterans or senior citizens
- Woman
- Low-income individuals or families
- Citizens who are on the verge of eviction or homeless individuals
- Unemployed citizens
- Disabled citizens or individuals with special needs.
To avail benefits that come along with the Stranded Travelers assistance program you need to register yourself at the local office of the organization you are considering within your local area.
What Are The Different Ways To Get Financial Assistance For Stranded Travelers?
A lot of people go over their budget while traveling and struggle for the rest of their trip which makes it impossible to return to their home. Fortunately, there are ways to get financial support for stranded travelers. These ways are as follows.
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Help From The Federal Government
Stranded travelers can contact the Department of State to get help through the department’s channel. The Department of State promises to offer much-needed support for needy stranded travelers across the nation.
Destitute citizens and troubled Americans can contact their federal government through the official website and ask their family members or loved ones to send the money through the channels of the department.
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Take Travel Insurance
The Global Health Card will entitle travelers to pay for their medical bills during times of a medical emergency during their travel respective of which state or country they are traveling.
If you have a habit of traveling nationally and internationally, then it is recommended that you take travel insurance. This will help you to stay relaxed.
There are many banks where you can get the travel insurance and to know more, it is suggested that you talk with your bank. Make sure that your travel insurance also covers financial assistance for stranded travelers abroad and healthcare.
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Ask Your Family and Friends
One of the best people to approach during an emergency or crisis is your kith and kin. Always remember that a financial crisis in an unknown country is always a very big problem. But there are ways in which you can solve these problems easily. Many ways are there in which you can reach your kith and kin (family and friends) and get the needed amount. They can approach the Western Union Branch and send the money through that channel for you to receive it.
In addition, many other platforms are there for international money transfer, that your family and friends can use and send you the money. MoneyGram is also one of the ways in which you can send the money to your loved ones. Funds can now be transferred directly through the help of technology.
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Seek Assistance From Nonprofit Organizations and Local Church
Nonprofit organizations and churches play a critical role in assisting people to reach their destination securely and safely.
Nonprofit organizations like the Salvation Army, Travelers Aid International and churches like the United Methodist Church, Episcopal Church and Society of St. Vincent de Paul offers travel facilities to affected citizens and financial assistance for stranded travelers.
You just need to contact them on their emergency helpline number and assistance will be provided to you immediately.
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What Are The Facilities Provided Through Stranded Travelers Assistance Programs?
On registering as a member of a stranded travelers assistance program you become entitled to a few facilities that the organization offers. Such facilities are provided to the members of the organization during an emergency or crisis. These services include the following.
- One Way Tickets: Members who participate in the stranded traveler’s assistance program receive one-way bus tickets provided they can fulfill the eligibility criteria. These programs do not provide help with medical emergencies or transportation for funeral purposes. One-way bus tickets are presently available to members in Washington DC or other metropolitan areas.
- Travelers At Airport Programs help people who want to get to the airport however these programs have limited funding and resources and may not help everyone with free bus tickets.
- Stranded traveler assistance is provided to eligible members who are traveling within the borders of the United States of America. The benefits that come along with these programs have no eligibility outside the nation while the member is on an international tour. At the airport, the members get assistance navigating through the airport.
Read also: Programs That Help Paying off Traffic Tickets Collections
What Are The Churches That Provide Help With Travel Near Me?
Churches have taken the initiative to provide assistance to stranded travelers who are stuck in the middle of nowhere. These churches are faith-based organizations that make destitute people feel safe while traveling and even help them with free train or bus tickets. To receive the required help from churches you need to contact them personally to visit their official website.
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United Methodist Church
This is a national faith based church, which assists people of all kinds in travel all across the city, county, state, and country in the USA. This church may not be able to assist you with plane or train tickets, but it can help you by giving you free greyhound bus tickets as it is allied with the greyhound company. This will make your traveling easier and safer.
Apart from assisting the travelers stranded, they also provide travel help to the homeless. This church is a national faith based church, which works with or in alliance with other non-profit organizations and churches. It is not easy to get a greyhound ticket but the church makes it possible even for nonprofessionals to get the tickets and have a safe journey.
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Episcopal Church
This church helps the people with their utility bills, assisting the homeless to travel and helping the stranded travelers. It not only helps their followers but also those who are in need of urgent help regardless of their caste, creed, religion, gender etc. The citizens who are in need also get greyhound bus tickets. For the homeless there is a travel aid and free bus tickets including assistance for those who are stranded.
It is one of such religious organizations that is the most widespread in providing help to those who are stranded. There is at least one branch of this church that you will get in your city, county, town, or state. It also serves all the states and nations. You can visit their official website or you can directly visit their place, which is close to your residence, and address their problems and issues.
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Society of St. Vincent de Paul
This society of St. Vincent is known to everyone. It is well known for assisting people at the time of utmost emergency and helping people in crisis. St. Vincent is one of the largest org,. for national charity in the whole of the USA. They mainly help the low-income group people, people who are needy, and the less fortunate people of the nation.
The church also helps those people who feel not so safe while traveling. In addition, those people who are having a financial crisis and daily commute is a challenge for them , for such people they provide financial assistance so that they can travel easily.
Also, if you are in a great confusion and stranded somewhere, all you can do is simply contact them in case of emergency with their emergency helpline number and they will come to you ASAP.
Read also: Churches that help with homeless People in an emergency
What Are The Organizations That Provide Travel Aid For Homeless Individuals?
Homeless citizens of America have to travel very frequently while in search of employment, going house-hunting or commuting to their regular workplace. These individuals face financial constraints in transporting.
This is the reason why a lot of organizations provide travel assistance for homeless citizens and enable them to get free bus tickets or take them at affordable prices. The objective of the nonprofit organization providing travel aid for the homeless is to make sure traveling is not a barrier for low-income or homeless individuals.
Travelers Aid International is a popular international network of social service agencies, train stations and airports that provide a safety net to destitute individuals who need a place or a support system. The organization depends on the talents and skills of the volunteers and staff members to uplift the human experience.
The program assists homeless people who are living on the street and enables them to get a secure shelter over their heads. Not only homeless people but hungry children and women escaping domestic abuse or sex trafficking rings can also seek assistance from this organization.
The organization offers stranded travelers transitional housing, secure shelter, job training, financial support, local transportation assistance, counseling and many more supportive services. The assistance depends on the applicant, the location and the availability of resources.
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Homeless citizens living in San Francisco get an opportunity to reunite with their family members and friends and avail ongoing support as a part of the Homeward-Bound program. The program is sponsored by the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing and tends to provide free bus tickets to enable stranded travelers to reach their homes.
The program covers crime victims, stranded travelers and destitute families who are looking for transportation help and supportive services. Stranded travelers under any condition are eligible to get a return trip. To be eligible for the program you need to give identification proof and have a Social Security number. The program connects someone with a stranded traveler to make sure they can return home safely.
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The Road Home
It is a non-profit org. whose pivotal objective is to reduce homelessness and bring such homeless people back into the community. They provide human services and travel aid for the homeless. They have helped 365 families in total until now and got them back to a safe, sound, and healthy environment.
This organization is location specific and not a national one. You can get their services at Salt Lake and they provide help for the homeless. Also, help is provided to the travelers who are stuck and free bus tickets help and finds to buy them.
A community project known as Homeless And Travelers Aid Society empathizes with the homeless citizens and destitute people in the nation and strives towards their self-sufficiency and betterment. The organization acknowledges their issues and provides them with a helping hand. The Code Blue Program of the organization ensures homeless travelers get a safe shelter and secure travel.
Resources like education, daily meals, job opportunities, health care, security in times of natural disasters, and other such life-saving resources are provided by the organization to those who lack a roof over their heads. Along with these resources they also provide travel aid for the homeless.
There are many other assistance programs provided by these organizations for instance
- Far Feed Hungry Kids and Hungry Minds.
- Prison reentry
- Supportive housing
- HATAS Furniture Bank
- Rapid rehousing programs etc.
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There are local chapters Of the American Red Cross throughout the nation that offer transportation assistance to needy families who are victims of natural disasters. Apart from bus ticket assistance also offers other types of services to needy people including food assistance, shelter and financial support.
To learn more about how to avail transportation services for stranded travelers you can visit the Red Cross website. The American Red Cross works in collaboration with the military aid society to provide reliable and quality financial support to eligible applicants. Their assistance includes emergency travel, emergency food, shelter and burial of a loved one. The Red Cross is a viable route to expedite access to essential financial resources.
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A national network of churches that provides financial assistance including free bus tickets for homeless individuals and stranded travelers as the Catholic Charities. The charity assists needy families and homeless individuals who are looking for transportation help for job interviews, medical appointments or other important requirements.
You need to track down a local Catholic charity in your neighboring area for assistance. Catholic Charities is one of the most respected national faith-based organizations that assist people in emergencies or crises. Travelers who are unable to bear the cost of bus fare can get free bus passes.
A nonprofit organization known as Lutheran Social Service assists people with transportation and financial resources in times of need. If you’re looking for transportation help while being stranded in the middle of nowhere then you can get in touch with a local Lutheran social service center and learn about the programs and services that they can help you with. On explaining your need they can provide some sort of financial support or transportation help.
Homeless veterans or veterans with disabilities can obtain transportation assistance or free bus tickets as a part of the Volunteers of America Project.
The organization has partnered with local charities and organizations throughout America to assist homeless people, military service members and senior veterans including their surviving spouses.
Stranded travelers are veterans who not only get free bus or train passes but also help with housing, food, rent, shelter, medical assistance and so on.
A nonprofit organization known as United Way works to enhance the lives of needy people in a community including stranded passengers who have no resources to turn to. By contacting United Way in your local area you get connected to charities and local organizations that can help you with discounted or free tickets and enable you to reach your home safely.
You can call your local United Way by dialing 211 or by visiting the official United Way website. Once you get in touch with them you can tell your need for assistance to reach your home and they will help you to know the available resources and get the quickest possible aid.
A national charity known as Love Inc. works with a lot of churches throughout the United States of America. The charity funds a lot of churches across the nation and provides ticket assistance and transportation help to needy families and stranded passengers.
The organization also assists homeless people or victims of natural disasters. The organization works as a mediator to help people with free Greyhound bus tickets as well. If you can fulfill the eligibility criteria and show that you are impacted by calamities or navigating homelessness they can provide you with the right assistance and a variety of supportive services.
A popular nonprofit organization known as Salvation Army has partnered with Travelers Aid International as well as Greyhound Bus Company to provide travel aid for homeless individuals and even low-income families.
The Stranded Travelers program by the Salvation Army assists families and individuals in transit emergencies and provides them much-needed financial assistance so that they can continue their journey or find a suitable shelter for themselves.
The Salvation Army is undoubtedly a beacon of hope for needy people who are facing adversity while traveling alone. Stranded citizens in unknown locations or on highways can apply for the Salvation Army Stranded Travellers Program and get the right assistance. The organization has successfully assisted destitute travelers to drive to two secure locations.
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Conclusion
Stranded traveler assistance programs through church and nonprofit organizations are an amazing way to get help for needy families who need food, shelter or transportation. These programs provide a safe community for those who are living far from their home including emotional and spiritual support. If you’re looking to apply for a stranded travelers assistance program then you can contact your nearby church or charity or visit their official website. There are online directories or forums for needy travelers who can benefit through stranded travelers’ assistance programs.
Are you interested in learning more about Church assistance programs that Help Paying with Bills that can help you with your financial needs? Head over to Get Government Grants’ today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Duration Of Stranded Travelers Assistance Program?
The duration of assistance that travelers can receive from stranded travelers assistance programs depends on their eligibility, the availability of resources, the situation in the country, and the demand for the program. You need to check with the stranded traveler’s assistance program provider to get the latest information and updates.
What Kind Of Assistance Does Stranded Travelers Assistance Program Provide To Needy Individuals?
Depending on the type of program you are applying to, you can receive tons of assistance for stranded travelers assistance programs, for instance, food, accommodation, legal advice, medical care, emergency loans or repatriation flights.
What Type Of Transportation Help Can You Get From the Standard Travel Aid Assistance Program For the Homeless?
Individuals who qualify for travel aid programs for the homeless get a free train ticket, bus ticket, plane ticket, rental car or gas voucher to cover the cost of food, luggage, and lodging during their journey.
How Can I Get Support If I Am A Standard Traveller?
Standard travelers need to contact local authorities, the nearest consulate or embassy or travel insurance provider to get information about how to get support or become eligible for assistance programs. Apart from transportation and monetary assistance, you can get help with lodging, and free meals depending on the program.