Two new Carolina Thomas 
buses are making a big impact for girls who are served by The Global Village Project in Decatur, GA. These students, ranging from age 11-18, will now be able to get to school in 15 or 20 minutes instead of undertaking a one-hour commute on public transportation each morning.
The Global Village Project is an innovative school designed specifically to meet the educational needs of refugee girls who have experienced interrupted schooling in their countries of origin. The girls come from all over the world: Burma, Afghanistan, Iran, Congo, Ethiopia, and other countries. The tuition-free school offers a full-day, three-year program that prepares the students to be successful in high school and college.
Student Safety Comes First
“While many of our students are only about 4 or 5 miles away from our school location, it is a long ride on public transportation,” explained Julia Levy, Director of Finance & Development for The Global Village Project. “Girls were waiting in the cold and rain at public bus stops in an environment that left them vulnerable to harassment. The new 15-passenger buses offer these young ladies safe and reliable transportation to and from school.”
The availability of safe transportation is very important to the school and to parents. Often the refugee families have recently arrived in the Atlanta area after being forced to flee their homes due to war or persecution. Refugee families are legal residents of the United States who were carefully screened by Homeland Security before being selected to resettle in America. If the family has limited English and is learning how to acclimate to a totally new culture, it also makes learning to navigate public transportation more challenging.
Personalized Service Helps Nonprofits
“We love Carolina Thomas and the service they provided,” said Levy. “They helped us select buses that were the best fit for our goals and our budget as a nonprofit organization. Our new buses have seat belts and a rearview camera, two very important safety features.”
In addition to helping The Global Village Project select the best buses for the program, the Carolina Thomas Body Shop applied the Global Village Project logo and colors on the buses, making it easy for students and parents to identify the bus. Carolina Thomas Vice President & General Manager Tom Schaaf and Service Manager Vinny Rivera personally delivered the buses, which was a nice touch.
“Our students are so eager to learn,” said Levy. “We help them make up years of school they may have missed due to turmoil or lack of school access so they can be prepared to graduate from high school and advance. The buses help reassure parents and students that they will have a safe and efficient way to come learn the academic and social skills needed to be successful in the future.”
Considering a Bus for Your Church or Nonprofit?
If you’re wondering how to find the perfect bus for your church or nonprofit, download our Bus Selection Checklist. It will walk you through important items to consider when shopping for a bus.