In 2025 alone, JCCGCI provided 110,661 rides to 6,125 clients, representing the highest level of service in the program’s history and continuing a steady pattern of growth over the past several years. This milestone reflects not only the increasing demand for transportation services among older adults, but also the program’s ability to consistently deliver reliable, accessible, and compassionate support across Brooklyn and beyond.

For nearly a decade, JCCGCI has held its position as the largest standalone older adult transportation provider in Brooklyn and one of the largest in New York City, ensuring that thousands of older adults remain connected to the services, relationships, and activities that allow them to live healthy and fulfilling lives. At its core, the transportation program is about far more than rides: it is about independence, dignity, and most importantly, connection.

For many clients, transportation makes it possible to attend medical appointments, visit doctors and dentists, access hospitals and clinics, run essential errands, attend wellness classes, participate in cultural or religious activities, and maintain meaningful connections with family and friends. Without these services, many older adults would face the very real risk of isolation. JCCGCI’s program is designed specifically to eliminate those barriers.

Unlike traditional transportation options, the service is always free of charge, allowing older adults on fixed incomes to access the rides they need without worrying about cost. Reliability is another defining feature. Riders know they can count on timely pick-ups, flexible scheduling, and the comfort of familiar drivers and call center staff who understand their needs. Many clients even request specific call center representatives by name, reflecting the strong relationships that have developed through years of compassionate service.

Behind the scenes, the program’s success is powered by a sophisticated infrastructure designed to ensure both efficiency and accessibility. JCCGCI operates a fleet of wheelchair-accessible vehicles capable of transporting between 16 and 28 passengers, supported by partnerships with car services, ambulette providers, ambulance services, and bus companies. JCCGCI maintains partnerships with more than 10 local car service companies, developing relationships with providers located in the neighborhoods where many clients live to ensure more responsive, reliable, and timely transportation for each rider.

A computer-aided dispatch call center coordinates rides, confirms trips in advance, and ensures clients receive the support they need in real time. Beyond scheduling rides, staff also work closely with clients to understand their broader needs, connecting them to additional support services when necessary—whether within JCCGCI’s network of programs or through trusted external providers—ensuring that transportation becomes an entry point to holistic care and community support. The team also provides multilingual service, helping clients communicate comfortably in languages such as Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Haitian Creole, Hungarian, Urdu, Yiddish, and more. These capabilities allow the program to serve a community as diverse as Brooklyn itself.

Perhaps the most powerful testament to the program’s success comes directly from the people it serves. Many clients describe the service not simply as helpful, but essential to their daily lives. One rider shared, “Without the JCC I cannot help myself; I cannot go. I’m helpless. If not for them we couldn’t exist. We need the transportation.” Another client explained how the service allows them to maintain their independence: “I need transportation almost every day to go to the older adult center… I am very satisfied with this transportation that I get from the JCC.” These voices reflect the profound human impact behind the numbers.

JCCGCI’s Transportation Program is not simply about moving people from one destination to another. It is about ensuring that older adults remain safe, connected, healthy, and independent, even as the challenges of aging increase. Through continued support from partners such as NYC Aging, the New York State Department of Transportation, NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, the New York State Office for the Aging, the NYC Council, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, and private sector grants—many from sources that prefer to remain anonymous—JCCGCI has been able to expand and strengthen these services year after year.

As demand continues to grow, so does JCCGCI’s commitment to meeting the transportation needs of older adults across Brooklyn and beyond. In addition to its extensive work across Brooklyn, JCCGCI continues to expand services into Staten Island, working to ensure that older adults in underserved areas of the borough also have access to reliable transportation that keeps them connected to healthcare, community programs, and essential services. Because at JCCGCI, transportation has never been just about the ride. It is about ensuring that no one is left behind.

👉 Want to get involved with JCCGCI? Email us at info@jccgci.org or call 718-449-5000 for more information.