A new grant aims to tackle one of the biggest barriers keeping people out of home care jobs: transportation.
HCR Cares has received $200,000 in grant funding to expand a program designed to help people enter the home care workforce by getting a driver’s license. The funding comes from The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation and supports the Roadway to Independence II program.
How the program works
The program focuses on people interested in home care jobs who currently can’t qualify because they don’t have a driver’s license.
HCR Cares will offer in-person training to help participants prepare for the driver’s permit test. The program also works to remove common obstacles, including limited access to computers, learning challenges, and language barriers.
Grant funding will cover the cost of driver’s permits and Department of Motor Vehicles fees. Participants will go through a screening process to identify potential workers who were previously ineligible due to transportation issues.
Why transportation matters
“Transportation is one of the major barriers to finding employment in the home care workforce,” said Louise Woerner, president of the HCR Cares board. “We are grateful that The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is providing this support to enable us to address this issue by helping potential workers get their driver’s license.”
New project director named
HCR Cares has named Daisy Rivera Algarin as project director for the Roadway to Independence II program.
Algarin is a community advocate and public servant whose work has focused on improving conditions in the Greater Rochester area, particularly within the Latina community. Her work has earned multiple honors, including the Latinas Unidas Founder Award, the Rochester Business Journal Women of Excellence Award, and the New York State Senate Woman of Distinction Award.
In her new role, Algarin will work with several project partners that share a goal of strengthening the health care workforce, including the Monroe County Clerk’s Office.
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