Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc.
Transportation Services
MEO transportation services provided via County of Maui grant appropriation:
- Kaunoa Leisure Program
- Senior Nutrition Program
- Ka Lima O Maui Program
- Employment for the Disabled, Low-income and Economically Challenged
- Rural Shuttle
- Youth Transportation (Maui & Moloka’i)
- Easter Seals & Adult Day Care
- Community Transportation (Expansion)
- Youth Transportation (Expansion)
- Ala Hou Transportation
- Dialysis Transportation
Other MEO transportation services include:
- HeadStart Program
- Medicaid
- Maui Memorial Medical Center
- Hospice of Maui
- Independent charter
- Transit provider for Maui County – Emergency Operation Center
It’s that time of the year, when outrigger canoes are seen in the early morning and the afte
rnoon off the Maui shores. The local canoe clubs are gearing up for the regatta season, and ultimately the state championships in August. Hawaiian Canoe Club, at Hoaloha Park at the Kahului Harbor, is the five time defending state champion. Key to their dominance is their youth paddlers, who are consistently among the best in the state. Mary Akiona, Hawaiian Canoe Club Executive Director, says their young crews would not be so dominant without the help of the County of Maui Youth Transportation Program, provided through the MEO Transportation department. Many of their young paddlers otherwise would not be able to participate. 
While school is in session, Youth Trans buses pick up the youth from school and bring them to youth centers, boys and girls clubs, libraries, parks, canoe hales, gymnastics programs, alternative education facilities, and other places of interest to young people, particularly places with supervised programs for youth. At the end of these programs Youth Trans buses take the youth to stops near where they live. When school is not in session, Youth Trans buses pick up and return on routes in the Upcountry, Haiku/Paia, Central, South, and West areas.
The Youth Transportation program is open to youth between the ages of 9 and 18 and riders must be registered with MEO. Applications can be picked up at the MEO Transportation Office on the corner of Vevau Street and Kane Street (across from Sears) or at many of the programs supported by the Youth Trans. Please call 877-7651 for applications and further information.
MEO Transportation Reports: January 2007
Maui Adult Day Care—Nisei Veteran’s Memorial Center. During the first quarter of the past year a new facility was dedicated as a memorial for the Japanese-American servicemen of World Ward II. It is known as the Nisei Veteran’s Memorial Center, and is a dual-purpose facility for preschool children and highfunctioning elderly persons. MEO transports elderly clients to this new site so these people can participate in activities and enjoy interaction with the preschool children. The activities and especially the interaction with youngsters is very unlike what typical adult day care sites offer, and it appears to have a tremendous positive impact on clients, their families, and the community. Because of this, many families with elderly members have become interested in this type of service. We have been working out a solution with Maui Adult Day Care to accommodate their needs with the new facility and have requested additional funding from the County to supply two additional routes for this center alone.Dialysis
Of all the transportation services that we provide, the dialysis transportation service is the most critical in terms of sustaining life. Patients receive treatment three times each week at an average of four hours per visit. When their treatment is complete, they are usually ‘drained’ of their energy as the dialysis-based revitalization is taking place. They are usually tired and seek the safety and comfort of their residence. Their condition will improve with time. 
MEO serves approximately seventy-five dialysis patients in Central Maui, and two patients from Hana, six days a week. We also provide transportation services to five dialysis patients on the island of Molokai. Approximately 60% of our dialysis patients are wheelchair-bound, which is why most of our transfers are done on higher volume wheelchair capacity vehicles. The PAT-2 (Passenger Assistance Technician) drivers are specifically trained both to handle the higher volume of wheelchairbound patients on their vehicle and to accommodate the fragile nature of the patients. At any given moment, a PAT-2 driver may be faced with providing critical aid to a patient while in transit. Most of the emergencies that take place deal with blood-borne pathogens, and each vehicle is equipped with “spill kits” for this type of emergency.
We have met with the staff of Liberty Dialysis and know that the two treatment centers in Central Maui are filled to capacity. The Lahaina-Napili center is normally at 35%, and the option to build another center in Wailuku is in the works. During this past year we transported clients from the central area to Lahaina for dialysis treatment. This long transit has been hard on these clients, with the travel time associated with unpredictable traffic conditions and hazards. It was the only solution available, but the real answer is to keep clients in their area. That might mean dealing with the overcrowding with new and longer operational hours for both Liberty Dialysis and MEO. We expect longer hours as more people enter into these treatment centers hoping to retain the quality of life they have always had. 