6 Useful Churches Programs For Stranded Travelers Assistance

Being stranded won’t be stressful anymore. With these stranded travelers assistance Programs you can reach your destination safely. At least once in our lifetimes, all of us have got lost in what was expected to be a fun road trip. The situation of being stranded without any facilities feels the worse. Stranded travelers assistance programs have been initiated by several agencies and organizations to help stranded travelers out of their misery. Along with these agencies, there are churches that help with travel near me as well that provide stranded travelers assistance.

When one thinks of stranded travelers’ assistance, the first thing that comes to our minds is being rescued from a stranded location, but not many know that these programs also provide financial assistance for stranded travelers.  Travel aid for the homeless is yet another feature lesser-known of these agencies that provide stranded travelers assistance. Tag along to know more about these programs.

Programs To Contact For Stranded Travelers Assistance

Usually, when we are stuck in an unknown place we tend to ask for a lift from the passers-by but now there is a special wing that can help us get out of the situation. Various non-profit charity organizations have taken the initiative to provide stranded travelers assistance to take them to a safer place. One of the most renowned agencies that provide financial assistance for stranded travelers is talked about here.

• Traveler’s Aid

The Traveler’s Aid was primarily a movement that was birthed in St. Louis, Missouri under the administration of the city’s Mayor. The main aim of this movement was to provide stranded travelers assistance. These travelers were generally American pioneers and new immigrants. After his death, several societies were established under the title of Traveler’s Aid in almost all the major cities of the United States of America to facilitate those in need.

These programs primarily took special care of women and children from those who were to take advantage of their situation. Major Traveler’s Aid Societies like The Traveler’s Aid Society New York provided their services in places where chances of such things happening were the most. They provided their services at places like piers and train stations to make stranded travelers feel a sense of safety.

Most of the Traveler’s Aid societies have been established and are being administered by religious organizations but their services were never limited to people of faith. They extended their helping hand to everyone regardless of their beliefs and opposing faiths. It is also the oldest social welfare organization in the United States of America and too, non-religious. The founder of the New York office dreamt of uniting all the Traveler’s Aid Societies around the nation to increase efficiency and establish a national association.

Earlier the organization was known only for providing stranded travelers assistance but in recent years, not only do they help with financial assistance for stranded travelers but also provide shelter for the transitionally homeless, transitional housing, job training, and counseling opportunities, local transportation assistance, and several other services.

Who Is Eligible For Traveler’s Aid Stranded Traveler’s Assistance Programs?

As said earlier, Traveler’s Aid gives preference to the safety of women and children. Thus, it makes them eligible for the stranded travelers’ assistance programs primarily. Other citizens that are deemed eligible for these programs that provide financial assistance for stranded travelers are ones that require special attention. Some agencies that are affiliated with the title offer specially curated programs for veterans, senior citizens, families, and individuals.

Other than that people with special needs like the disabled are also taken care of under specific programs. Along with helping stranded travelers reach safety, Traveler’s Aid also aims at abolishing homelessness and unemployment. In this context, homeless citizens or those citizens who are on the verge of eviction, and unemployed citizens are also eligible for Traveler’s Aid Stranded Traveler’s Assistance Program.

Traveler’s Aid offers a range of housing options, job training, employment opportunities, food assistance, and other resources to help the citizens of our country in their times of crisis. However, the funding, services, and hours of service might vary depending on the resources and availability of funding, eligibility of the applicant, and location of the applicant.

To avail, of the benefits of the programs offered by the organization all you need to do are get yourself registered at the organization’s local office in your area of residence.

Facilities Provided Under The Stranded Travelers Assistance Program

When you have gotten yourself registered as a member you automatically become entitled to certain facilities offered by the agency. These facilities are provided to the members of the organization whenever they are in a time of crisis. The services include:

1. One-Way Bus Tickets: One Way Bust tickets are provided to the members when they participate in programs, fulfill the pending eligibility, and currently, if you are present in Washington D.C., that too is the metropolitan area. This has nothing to do with eligibility but the resources. Currently, resources are available in the area of D.C.
2. Train and/or plane tickets: Train and/or plane tickets are not provided to the applicants or the members in any situation under the Stranded Travelers Assistance Program.
3. Transportation for funerals or medical emergencies does not qualify for help under the program either.
4. The Traveler’s Aid Airport Programs assist people who need to get to the airport but these programs have limited resources and are also not entitled to provide any kind of bus tickets.
5. Stranded Travelers Assistance is only provided to members traveling within the borders of the United States of America. The benefits of these programs hold no eligibility outside the nation while the member is on an international tour.
6. While at the airport, members are provided with assistance for navigating through the airport.
7. Meet and assist services are employed once the member has requested for it via e-mail.
8. Translation assistance for non-native members in certain situations and directions within the airport and surroundings is also provided.

Hence, if you come across any of the troubles mentioned above, you can straightaway contact Travelers Aid and avail of their services rather than being stranded and suffering. You will also be provided with a detailed note of programs and services that they have to offer at the time of registration which will make it easier for you to understand the functioning of the organization.

Must Read: Government Assistance For Car Repairs Programs

Churches That Help With Travel Near Me

Not only are non-profit charity organizations or Travelers Aid agencies that provide travel aid for the homeless, seniors, disabled, and less fortunate but churches too, play a major role in assisting people to reach their destination safely. I know at least 3 churches that help with travel near me. Similarly, every locality has a church that offers such services.

• United Methodist Church

United Methodist Church is not only of the churches that help with travel near me but is also a national church that offers help in every city, county, state, and country of the U.S. This faith-based organization might not be able to provide you with plane or train tickets but it can surely help you with Greyhound bus tickets for an easier and safer traveling journey.

It also provides travel aid for the homeless along with the churches that help with travel near me and you. As it is a national faith-based organization it works in collaboration with other churches and non-profit organizations that provide stranded travelers assistance. Usually, Greyhound bus tickets are not easily accessible to everyone but these churches make it easier for the laymen to access safer journeys with their stranded travelers’ assistance programs.

• Episcopal Church

Another religious organization that provides travel aid for homeless and stranded travelers assistance all around the nation is the Episcopal churches that help with utility bills. It aims at assisting its followers and those in need in their times of crisis. This faith-based organization also provides Greyhound bus tickets to citizens in need. Free bus tickets for the homeless, travel aid for the homeless. stranded travelers assistance is some of the programs that are offered by the Church to help people in need.

It is one of the largest religious fraternities that help with financial assistance for stranded travelers. You can find at least one branch of this church in your city, county, town, or state as it serves in almost all the states of the nation. To receive the required help from this organization, all you got to do is visit their official site or meet them personally by reaching out to their place of administration in your area of residence and narrate to them the problems you are facing.

If they happen to have proper resources to help you, the help will be with you in no time but if in case they are running short on funds then you would either be denied or would be asked to seek help from the long list of organizations and churches that help with travel near me and you. Do not worry if this happens as they would also refer you to those agencies so that you would not have to face any further issues or waste your time filling up unnecessary forms.

• Society of St. Vincent de Paul

St. Vincent de Paul’s Society is pretty much known to everyone around the nation. It is reputed for assisting people n their times of crisis and in emergent times. The organization is not only a faith-based organization but it also is America’s one of the largest national charity organizations. In earlier times and even today, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul assists needy, low-income, poor, and less fortunate citizens of the nation with resources like food, shelter, job opportunities, chances to get educated, everyday meals, and other resources needed to survive on a daily basis.

Apart from these resources they also offer help to those who feel unsafe while traveling. They also help the financially affected citizens with travel facilities so that they can commute without having to think about the high fares of buses. Their stranded travelers’ assistance programs and financial assistance for stranded travelers programs act as a cushion for economically affected classes of society.

You can also reach out for help if you find yourself in a puddle. All you have to do is contact them on their emergency helpline number and help will be provided to you as soon as possible.

Ways To Get Financial Assistance For Stranded Travelers

Often it happens that while traveling we get over budget and struggle for the rest of the trip with financial issues due to which it becomes unable for us and everyone with us to enjoy. But, guardian angels always exist!!! You can seek help from these organizations that provide financial assistance for stranded travelers.

• Federal Government of United States of America

The United States of America’s Department of State promises to provide financial assistance for stranded travelers out of the country. This basically means that if one is facing financial problems in an unknown nation then he or she can contact the federal government of America to seek financial help. These programs that provide financial assistance for stranded travelers enable travelers to be financially secure overseas on an unknown land.

It is rightly said that whenever we are in trouble, the first name that pops up in our heads is of our mothers. Similarly, whenever one visits another country of which they know nothing about and incur a problem there, the only name that pops up in our heads to seek help from is our embassy. Here you can contact the Department of State directly to get the required help. Troubled Americans or destitute citizens can contact the government and ask their loved ones to send money through the Department’s channel.

Once the money is sent by your family or friends, you can go to the nearest U.S. consulate or embassy and get the said amount. No processes are to be followed through to get your money. You just need to go there and ask for it from the concerned authority. They might ask you for some proof but that is it, without any other hassle you will have sufficient funds in your hands just in a few minutes.

• Take A Travel Insurance

I know this might sound a little quirky but I promise it sure is a thing. Several people for whom it is a regular thing to travel both nationally and internationally tend to have taken travel insurance. Travel insurance is basically the money that you save all year so that you can spend it on a meaningful relaxing trip at the end of the year or whenever it is convenient for you.

Travel insurance is provided by some of the banks. To get more details on that you would have to have a conversation with your bank regarding the same. Travel insurances along with providing financial assistance for stranded travelers also look into matters like health care.

For instance, if you are traveling abroad, you can take travel insurance and that will enable you to apply for Global Health Insurance Card. The GHIC or the Global Health Card will entitle you to your medical bills being paid if any medical emergencies are to happen while traveling irrespective of the country or state you are traveling to.

However, it is advisable to check the terms and conditions and what the insurance offers before paying for it. One thing is for sure having travel insurance can save you from being stranded somewhere without money.

Must Read: Top 3 Churches That Help With Bus Tickets

• Ask Your Family and Friends

You can always ask your friends and family to chime in, in times of crisis. A financial dip in an unknown place is a huge problem. But this can be solved through various means. There are several ways your friends and family members can reach out to you and send you the required funds. First of all, they can go to their nearest Western Union branch and send the money from there while you can receive it by doing the same.

There are other international money transfer service providers that can pull you out of the crisis. MoneyGram and various other transfer options are available that enable you to send money overseas. Not only that but you can also transfer the funds directly now. Thanks to the advancement in technology.

If you are on a business trip and have run out of funds then you can also ask your employer or banking institution to help you out. Companies and organizations that send their staff on work trips are entitled to take care of their employees and see to it that no problem is faced by them.

Organizations That Provide Travel Aid For Homeless

I have mentioned earlier that there are non-profit organizations and charity foundations that provide stranded travelers assistance programs. But not many of us know that there is also a list of programs in the same organization for homeless citizens.

Homeless citizens need to travel as well. Be it in search of a job or commuting to their regular jobs or going on a house hunt, homeless citizens also have to travel but they also face the financial crunch the most. Hence, these organizations facilitate them with travel aid for homeless citizens programs that enable them to get bus tickets for free or at an affordable price so that traveling does not become a problem for them.

• HATAS (Homeless And Travelers Aid Society)

Homeless and Travelers Aid Society is a community project that empathizes with the homeless citizens of the nation and is working work toward their betterment. Several problems are faced by such citizens apart from not having a roof over their heads. HATAS acknowledges these problems and offers a helping hand to comfort the homeless with their problems.

Resources like education, daily meals, job opportunities, health care, security in times of natural disasters, and other such life-saving resources are provided by the organization to those who lack a roof over their heads. Along with these resources they also provide travel aid for the homeless. As the name of the community itself suggests, HATAS takes care of travel aid for the homeless and also of those in stranded situations.

HATAS is just an attempt at bringing the community closer. This is achieved by them by providing the lacking with the resources that they lack. You too, can become a part of this community and avail the benefits of the programs that they offer.

• The Road Home

The Road Home is a non-profit charity organization that aims at reducing homelessness and indulging them back into the community. Two main causes of the organization are providing human services and travel aid for the homeless. Their housing programs have established more than 365 families back to safe, sound, and healthy houses.

The organization is not a national one but is quite location-specific. It offers its services in the area of greater Salt lake. Along with the eradication of homelessness, they also provide travel aid for the homeless They provide financial assistance for stranded travelers and travel assistance for homeless citizens by providing them with free bus tickets or funds to buy the same.

• The Salvation Army

Who does not know about the well-renowned Salvation Army and its life-saving programs? The Salvation Army, just like St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities, and Modest Needs is a national non-profit charity organization that provides help with various day-to-day required resources such as shelter, food, clothes, housing, and many more. It also has collaborated with Travelers Aid International and Greyhound Bus Company and together they provide travel aid for the homeless.

Stranded citizens on highways or in unknown places can apply for the organization’s stranded travelers assistance programs. Stranded Travelers Programs is The Salvation Army’s one of the most asked-for programs in several cities, towns, counties, and states. Several destitute travelers have been driven to safer locations with these programs.

All you need to do is visit the nearest Salvation Army Centre and ask for a social worker who will make sure that the traveler that is you is received once you are at a safe place. The organization also sees to it that the applicant gets a bus ticket or they are provided one in most cases.

Conclusion

Being stranded is never a good feeling and these organizations and agencies understand it crystal clear. That’s why they offer stranded travelers assistance programs to those in need. Churches that help with travel near me and you have helped several stranded citizens reach safety. They also have often provided financial assistance for stranded travelers in many situations. Travel aid for the homeless has been a matter of concern for several non-profit organizations and hence they have come up with ways to eradicate it.

For further information, you can contact the organizations and agencies mentioned above. They would provide you with a detailed overview of programs and grants that could help you in one or another way.