Scoping Long-Haul Options

We have wonderful news for our mailing list: Manzanita Works has been awarded funding to establish new Essential Express® routes of long-haul vanpool shuttle options in collaboration with licensed transportation service providers!

No, our program won't involve flying with planes like the photo above, but the take-off will include vans for those who commute long distances and hours.

We are doing preliminary outreach to gauge the needs of the people we serve. As we plan long-haul routes, we want to hear from YOU so that we can select the origin and destination points that would be the most helpful at this time.

If you are an essential worker and any of the following are true:

1) your commute takes longer than 75 minutes;

2) your commute touches San Mateo and/or Santa Clara counties; and

3) if you would be willing to try a vanpool or shuttle service as an alternative to driving alone in your car...

We encourage you to fill out our Long-haul Route Wishlist!

Some examples of what long-haul commutes look like: driving from Manteca to Redwood City, from Santa Cruz to San Mateo, from Gilroy to Los Altos Hills. Initially, this program will support essential workers in healthcare, education, family care, and food service industries, along with first responders.

In addition, we will be hosting a webinar on Sunday, March 8th at 4pm with some of our Manzanita Coalition leaders to brainstorm commute options, review Manzanita Works’ role in the Caltrain Pass Forward program, other Manzanita program news and more. Joining us to help lead our discussion will be Mrigendra “Meb” Steiner, President of the California School Employees Association Local Chapter 301, Martin Sanders from the Ravenswood Teacher Association, Tom Culbertson, President of the Palo Alto Educators Association and Pastor Kaloma Smith of UAMEZ Church in Palo Alto and founding Manzanita Works Board Chair emeritus.

If you're interested in participating, please email info@manzanita.works with “Webinar” in the subject line for more information. Priority attendance will be given to those in Manzanita Coalition member organizations celebrating 6 years of sharing their lived experiences with each other and Manzanita Works!

Manzanita Works is a Caltrain Regional Partner for 2026, connecting qualified essential workers to the local rail agency's Pass Forward program since the program's inception in 2021. If you are interested in participating in 2026, please fill out our Pass Forward Interest Survey and we can then connect you with the SamTrans survey the public agency administers for Caltrain. Once both are completed and riders are qualified and approved, we meet up to provide you with your card for use in 2026. Note: educators are ineligible for this program in 2026 unless they are a returning participant and are within the income thresholds.

Thank you to applicants and participants for your patience during the annual Pass Forward re-enrollment period. Please reach out if we can help support you.

It has been great to see our inventory of e-bike loaners get into the hands of essential workers who live or work in Redwood City these past few months. Our Essential Wheels® program is now helping residents in many communities, and we are excited to share that more grants and sponsorships are forthcoming to add inventory to serve people from additional communities in the Bay Area.

“It has been a great way to introduce the world of bikes to me, and the benefit of them on my health, and the idea that I am more likely to own one for myself. I've been looking into them for commute, especially ones that can carry my payload, as a therapist.” - Essential Wheels participant

If you are an essential worker who is interested in borrowing an e-bike for free for up to one year, visit our program website to learn more and add your name to our Essential Wheels Interest List for when additional e-bikes become available.

Thanks to the support of individual donors in 2025, we launched our Essential Kicks™ program connecting essential workers to a pair of non-slip work shoes. In collaboration with service providers Footwear Etc. and KEEN, income qualified essential workers in healthcare, education, food service, family care and first responders have been signing up. We have a few pairs left in the current batch of available shoes that are being distributed this month so go ahead and fill out our Essential Kicks™ Interest List if you think you could benefit from this program to access free resources.

Our tool lending library, Essential Tools™, is humming along with 59 members who are residents across 17 communities in two counties. Essential Tools™ Members can borrow items in the inventory for free on a weekly basis and receive discounts at Hassett Ace Hardware Stores. If you didn't see it in November, check out the local press coverage of the program from Redwood City Pulse!

“I have been having a positive experience with the program. It's been a great way to obtain tools that I may not need to own but only use occasionally or just once.” Essential Tools member

We are honored to be collaborating with the San Mateo County Office of Emergency Management and the Sustainability Department on key initiatives. More news on that later this year but in the meantime, join the program here.

Manzanita Works, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to supporting the workforce and their families live fruitful, dignified lives. We focus on helping essential workers close the gaps that interrupt their ability to come to work in 6 program areas: housing, commute, health, food security, family care and the future of work.