Meet a 16-year-old who now has a ride to work thanks to FOX 17 initiative

FOX 17 announced the launch of a "Rapid Path Forward" at the beginning of July.

More than 100 teenagers received free bus passes to get to work as part of the program.

Local nonprofit Village 99 served as the fiduciary that helped distribute the passes. They were paid for by a grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation.

Mason Lutey is one of those teens who got a pass.

He's 16. He plays football and is in the marching band. He also works a part-time job at the John Ball Zoo.

Before getting his bus pass to get to work, finding a ride was inconsistent at best.

“Needing to get place to place at this time on the dot — it can be very overwhelming,” Lutey said.

Lutey is working towards getting a driver's license, but it's tough getting the hours in to practice.

“When you only have one car at the moment, plus getting ready to move to a new house, it be very complicated," Lutey said.

Lutey's complicated problem had a simple solution presented to him — a free bus pass.

“It’s really helped me, personally,” Lutey said.

Lutey gets on the bus in front of the Grand Valley Health Campus building on Michigan Street, two and a half miles away from the John Ball Zoo. Lutey's biked there before, but having a ride means a lot.

"During the Fifth Third Riverbank run … the bussing was down for that day,” Lutey said.

Village 99 says this is the entire goal of their nonprofit is to connect people in need with resources. They started out as a program to help young people and families pay for their extracurricular activities — but give families so much more. They've identified transportation as a massive issue families and teenagers are facing.

“Village 99 is a quarterback here in West Michigan. We built a team that covers all of our areas of need. We’ve formulated a concierge department, where we can assess the needs of families as they come into the village, in a five-star manor,” Board President Jeremy Burgin said.

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