Greenwich Terminal Serves as Information Hub as Drivers/Monitors Await
Word from Family Members
GREENWICH, Conn. – Employees of Student Transportation of America (STA), the local school bus company serving the Greenwich public and private schools, are partnering with the school community this week to support Haitian-American bus drivers and monitors caught in the emotional turmoil surrounding Tuesday’s massive earthquake in Haiti.
“We have 30 bus drivers and 10 monitors in our Greenwich terminal who are desperately trying to contact their family and friends in Haiti,” said John Spang, STA’s regional operations director. “Our hearts go out to each and every one of them. All of us, from STA employees who are local and others throughout North America, to Greenwich parents, students and administrators, are looking for ways to ease their frustration and support them and their homeland in whatever way we can. We are a family of employees at STA and, in times like these, we come together to support each other. We greatly appreciate the outpouring of support from the Greenwich school community.”
An information center has been established at STA’s Greenwich office where WiFi and several computer workstations will be operating from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day while the need exists. Breakfast and lunch are being provided daily.
“With the communications infrastructure in Haiti so badly damaged, Facebook and Twitter seem to be two of the best ways to communicate; so our workstations and WiFi will help our employees check on friends and relatives before and after their daily runs,” Spang said. “We’re also helping to connect employees to the Salvation Army and American Red Cross websites which help individuals locate loved ones amid the chaos.”
Spang also said the following additional efforts are underway:
- Greenwich Public Schools staff and families have been alerted to the plight of STA’s Haitian employees and been given information about a number of opportunities to donate to relief organizations, including Stamford-based AmeriCares.
- STA has purchased $1,000 in prepaid phone cards, which will be distributed to employees in Stamford as well as to two employees in the company’s New London terminal with Haitian ties.
- A companywide donation system is being established, which will allow STA employees in 11 states and Ontario, Canada to make donations to the relief effort in person at individual terminals and online at the rideSTA.com website.
- Plans are underway to hold a special gathering for Greenwich employees next week at the terminal to underscore the company and school district’s support to the drivers.
“We cannot begin to comprehend the magnitude of the tragedy in Haiti,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Sidney A. Freund. “Our thoughts are with the people of Haiti and those members of our school community, including our bus drivers and monitors, with friends and families in Haiti. The schools have already begun multiple and various relief efforts and we will continue to do whatever we can to try to support these efforts.”
STA encourages all Connecticut residents to keep the Haitian people in their prayers and to donate to any one of the fine organizations working to assist the devastated nation including AmeriCares and the American Red Cross.
About Student Transportation, Inc.
Founded in 1997, Student Transportation, Inc. (ST) is North America’s third-largest and fastest-growing provider of school bus transportation services, operating more than 6,300 vehicles. ST’s family of local companies delivers safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation solutions to school districts throughout the U.S. and Canada. Services are delivered by drivers, dispatchers, maintenance technicians, terminal managers and others who are caring members of their local communities. For more information, please visit www.rideSTA.com.
