The Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) recently received $3,010 from the Kistler-Hollstein Community Fund and Ann & John Ashford Community Fund of Cumberland Community Foundation, Inc. to help homeless individuals with bus fares within city limits.  

“More often than not, our homeless community has no choice but to forgo important appointments, including mental health services, job interviews/employment, Medicaid/EBT recertification and housing appointments,” DeAnna Braggs, Homeless & Mental Health Coordinator said in a press release. 

The funding received allows eligible individuals to receive a one-day or 30-day bus pass from the Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST) to travel throughout the city to get to the places they need to go for resources. 

“Kendra Murray, Community Grants Manager, learned that many homeless people struggle with transportation, and we thought of the Ann and John Ashford Community Fund and the Kistler-Hollstein Community Fund, both established to support basic human needs and human services,” said Mary Holmes, President and CEO of Cumberland Community Foundation, Inc in a press release. “Though Mrs. Ashford and Mrs. Kistler-Hollstein are no longer with us, they continue their support for those in greatest need.”  

Bus passes are distributed when staff from the police department are conducting weekly outreach efforts. Police officers have access to bus passes for emergency situations when they encounter homeless residents in need of transportation.  

“Both Mrs. Kistler-Hollstein and Mrs. Ashford would be very happy to know that they helped a homeless person travel to a doctor’s appointment, job interview or food pantry. It is just the kind of people that they were – generous and under the radar,” Holmes shared. 

The city continues to support homelessness initiatives through partnerships with community organizations and Cumberland County such as The Fayetteville-Cumberland County Continuum of Care (CoC) and the Fayetteville Cares Day Resource Center.