2023 Joan Manley Founders Fund

In honor of our founder, Joan Manley, consider making a donation to the Joan Manley Founders Fund.  Donations are used to provide transportation for people who use wheelchairs like Joan:  might be blind, have developmental disabilities, have a broken leg, or are unable to drive for other reasons.

Over 35 years ago, Joan was living in California, walking her dog on the beach most days, and starting her career working with children with special needs. Driving to work one day, a car was coming toward her; it was in her lane, there was no where for her to go, and she was hit head on.  When she woke up in the hospital, Joan was told that she was hit by a drunk driver and that she would never walk again.  She could move her arms a little but not her hands or fingers. She could no longer get herself out of bed, hold a book, pick up a sandwich, or even open her hand to pet her dog.

After rehab at Woodrow Wilson Rehab Center in Waynesboro, Virginia, Joan moved to rural Rockbridge County to live with her mother who was a nurse and took care of all of Joan’s needs. Her mother even picked her up and carried her out to the car every time she wanted to go anywhere.  When Joan’s mother died of a heart attack, Joan became even more stranded at home.

Rather than pitying herself, Joan realized that there were probably other people in the community also stuck at home because of the lack of transportation.  So Joan recruited volunteer drivers, applied for grants, rented vehicles, and created Rockbridge Area Transportation System.  She was the dispatcher, manager, volunteer coordinator and everything else for many years.

In 2020, RATS was gearing up to celebrate 25 years of service to the community. RATS had grown to be a thriving non-profit organization providing rides for people with and without disabilities to doctor’s appointments, dialysis, work, grocery stores, and more. With over 15 drivers and staff and 19 vehicles, RATS was providing more than 2,000 rides per month.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Since Joan could no longer live independently due to the shortage of personal care assistants, she moved into a nursing home.  About two months later, there was an outbreak of COVID in the nursing home. Joan was sick with the virus for several weeks, but her courageous spirit got her through.  Unfortunately a second wave of COVID hit in spring 2022 and Joan passed away on April 28, 2022.

Like most other small businesses, it has not been easy for RATS to continue to pay the bills during the pandemic.  Also, RATS is facing a 5.4% inflation rate on goods and services, gas prices are now running $1.00 more per gallon than this time last year, and the state has mandated minimum wage increases, all while donations have dropped.

When Joan was Ms. Wheelchair Virginia in 2009-2010, her platform was “Making Choices and Having Choices to Make".  RATS is committed to continuing Joan’s legacy by giving everyone in our community the opportunity to get to life-saving medical appointments, jobs, grocery stores, and more.

Please consider giving to the Joan Manley Founders Fund today so that no one in our community will be left stranded.

You can donate online at the button link above  or  send a check to:   

V.A.S.T.

712 N. Main Street, Lexington, VA   24450