Clay County seniors embracing CAPLP’s Rural Routes program

By Melissa Van der Stad

Aging residents in rural Clay County are benefiting from a partnership between Clay County and Lakes & Prairies Community Action Partnership (CAPLP).  

Through its Rural Routes program, CAPLP assists rural residents by providing transportation to doctor’s visits, grocery stores, and social events. The program is based out of Hawley but services anyone in Clay County on a sliding fee scale. 

Rural residents frequently don’t have enough services for older adults, District 5 Commissioner David Ebinger said during the Clay County Commission on Tuesday, September 15. He commended CAPLP for ensuring that Clay County seniors have transportation not only to basic needs but also to social outings. 

“Seniors deserve to get the kind of resources where they can have a life,” Ebinger said.  

CAPLP has made several “strategic changes” to the Rural Routes program over the last year, CAPLP’s Economic Empowerment Director Robin Christianson said.  

That includes hiring a driver that many seniors within the small Hawley community already know, Christianson said, and using a minivan for driving small groups rather than the larger, handicap accessible bus. 

The results speak for themselves.  

The number of trips that CAPLP provides to seniors is set to double this year, Christianson said. Rural Routes anticipates providing 350 rides to rural residents in 2026.  

District 1 Commissioner Paul Krabbenhoft commended CAPLP for their work.  

Boosting social engagement for seniors is “extremely valuable,” he said.  

To fund this program, Clay County Commissioners agreed to provide $42,583 as part of the 2027 budget to CAPLP, as well as an additional $64,834 towards CAPLP’s Aging Services, which assists low-income seniors with food, healthcare, and prescription support.  

Beyond helping seniors, this program provides significant cost savings to Clay County by helping seniors age-in-place in rural areas, according to CAPLP’s Executive Director Lori Schwartz. 

Housing stability is a nationwide challenge, District 3 Commissioner Jenny Mongeau said, noting that keeping seniors in their homes is an important issue both for stability and the county’s economy. 

Those looking to learn more about Rural Routes can visit https://www.caplp.org/reach.html