RCTC Grant: Provides Rides, Reduces Anxiety, Saves Lives
Imagine sitting in a doctor’s office, heart pounding, trying to wrap your head around the words: “You have cancer.” You’re overwhelmed, scared, maybe even a little numb. And then you learn that treatment will happen several times a week, maybe in another city. That’s when the second wave of panic hits: That is impossible…how am I going to get there?
For so many of the individuals we serve at Michelle’s Place, this isn’t hypothetical, it’s their daily reality. The Inland Empire faces a critical lack of accessible transportation. And when you’re fighting for your life, getting to treatment shouldn’t be the barrier that stands in your way.
Yet too often, the question isn’t when someone can get care, it’s if they can at all.
No one should have to choose between paying rent or getting to chemo. Access to transportation should never determine whether someone receives the medical care they need to survive.
Cancer doesn’t care if you’ve just lost your job. It doesn’t wait until your car is working again or your schedule clears up. It shows up and demands everything. Your time, your energy, and often, your resources. Sometimes, the biggest hurdle isn’t the diagnosis itself. It’s figuring out how to physically get to treatment.
We hear this all the time:
“My family works during the day.”
“The bus route doesn’t go near the hospital.”
“I don’t have anyone who can drive me.”
“I can’t afford gas to make it back and forth.”
Michelle’s Place Partners with RCTC to ease the burden
This is why our transportation assistance program exists and why our partnership with the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) is so meaningful.
Since 2023, RCTC’s Specialized Transit Program has provided Michelle’s Place with a three-year grant. The program, funded by Riverside County’s Measure A, has made it possible for us to help eliminate transportation as one barrier to care. We’re now in the second year of the grant, and in 2025 alone, we’ve been able to support 347 individuals on their journey to healing…their “Road to Treatment”.
These are not just rides. They are lifelines.
We recently asked our transportation clients to share their experiences, and the responses were moving:
- 100% said the program reduced their anxiety about getting to treatment
- 90% said they wouldn’t have been able to attend all their appointments without it
“This program has kept me in treatment and given me hope. Without the rides, I would have had to choose between paying rent or getting to chemo.” — Michelle’s Place client
This is exactly why we do what we do. At Michelle’s Place, we believe no one should have to choose between survival and stability. When someone reaches out for help, we don’t want logistics to stand in the way. We want to say, “We’ve got you.”
Thanks to RCTC, every mile driven gets someone closer to life-saving care. Every ride is a reminder that no one should face cancer alone. Together, we’re making sure they don’t have to.
Need transportation support?
If you or someone you know is undergoing cancer treatment and facing transportation challenges, please reach out to our Care Team. We’re here to help.
Posted by Michelle’s Place Cancer Resource Center
