Groups working to fill gap left by closure of In Touch and Concerned

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Rides may be coming soon for the people left at the curb following the abrupt closure of In Touch & Concerned (ITAC) last month.

ITAC was the nonprofit that provided non-emergency medical transportation through the years to wheelchair users and others, with financial support from the state.

Monongalia County Commission President Tom Bloom said tentative agreements have been made with a number of entities across the county to fill in the gap for the short term.

They include fellow nonprofits Caritas House and the Shack Neighborhood House, the United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties, PACE Enterprises and Mountain Line.

WVU Medicine, Mon Health Medical Center and Star City Ambulance group have also offered their services, the commissioner said, along with other groups.

Bloom said representatives from most of those organizations attended a meeting Tuesday to discuss the issue.

The agreements have yet to be made formal, Bloom said during Wednesday’s commission meeting, because they are awaiting final votes in their respective organizations.

Morgantown City Council is also set to vote next week on whether to help fund the new enterprise.

Bloom said ITAC was making 250 transports a day before it shut its doors Aug. 10. The agency was reportedly more than $100,000 in debt.

Story by Jim Bissett