By Kurt Greenbaum

A longtime volunteer with Welcome Neighbor STL leaped into action, developing a plan to mobilize volunteers in the wake of the transportation issues during the first weeks of class for St. Louis Public Schools.

Rock Erekson, a longtime “family partner” with Welcome Neighbor, used his expertise with the JustServe platform to organize the effort, which, he concedes, is a “big ask” for the community.

“It was really challenging,” he said. “We needed people to pick up students early and drop them off in the afternoon. It’s a stopgap measure until the school system can get better transportation.”

The problem arose before the start of the school year when three bus companies canceled their commitment to transport students on 36 buses for the district. About 15,500 students qualified for transportation to school, and the district has been cobbling together a network of alternatives during the first weeks. The district reportedly added service for 1,000 more students on Friday.

“Initially, Rock’s effort was geared around the immigrant and refugee families we are already working with,” said Jessica Bueler, executive director of Welcome Neighbor STL. “But we know there is a greater need throughout the community.”

Erekson said the effort has launched, but is off to a slow start. Volunteers are required to get a background check, which they must pay for. The effort has been a collaboration primarily with Welcome Neighbor, Kindness Begins with Me STL, Christian Friends of New Americans and Oasis International.

“Our coordinating group realized this was a major need,” Erekson said. “We started identifying the families and we recognized that Roosevelt High School was where most of the transportation problems were.”

The project has enrolled only a handful of drivers serving a small number of students so far. The challenge, Erekson said, is getting the word out to the community.

Volunteers can sign up to be a driver on one of two JustServe pages, one to take students to Roosevelt, the other to take them home from school. 

Meanwhile, Erekson serves as a family partner to two families — one of 11 and another of seven — along with two young Afghan men who live with his family.