A Montana town is coming together to meet a big need: after-school bus transportation for kids.
When the local high school in Dillon stopped its after-school activities bus for younger kids due to liability concerns, several community members decided to do something about it.
Maria Emmer-Aanes helped found the Beaverhead Brigade, named for its county. It's a nonprofit bus service that gets elementary and middle-school students where they need to go in the afternoon.
She said before this service, the lack of transportation was a real issue.
"Parents were leaving work in the middle of their shifts, and kids were missing sports, tutoring, clubs, you name it," said Emmer-Aanes. "And businesses were also struggling with gaps in staffing. They had parents leaving in the middle of the day and having to make that time up later."
Emmer-Aanes added that kids would also have missed out on the mental and physical benefits of after-school activities if they couldn't get there.
The Beaverhead Brigade started service at the beginning of this school year, and Emmer-Aanes said they drive 125 kids per week to their activities.
She said the idea took off after a community meeting last fall with 50 people attending. From there, things really got rolling with Southwest Montana and Billings YMCAs each donating a bus.
Emmer-Aanes emphasized that this is a community-funded effort supported by donations, and they don't charge kids for rides.
"We have parents and kids out fundraising," said Emmer-Aanes. "They're hitting businesses and doing things at school and check-lane fundraisers at the grocery store. It's everywhere in town, and it's really exciting."
Emmer-Aanes said she hopes to help older adults with their transportation needs in the future. She said she's also hoping to spread the Beaverhead Brigade model and inspire other communities to do the same thing.
"I really would like to create a manual or something," said Emmer-Aanes, "write the system down and share it with people, in small communities especially, that are struggling with transportation – because transportation's everything."