CAMERON, Texas — Jean Hunter and Naomi Roberson go to the Rockdale Seniors Citizens Center five days a week — but they can't get there themselves.
"To be stuck at home with no transportation is very depressing," Roberson said.
"When you get to be 84-years-old, all your friends are either dead or moved away."
"I was sitting in my apartment and crying every day because I was blue," Hunter said.
"I never thought I would meet anybody out here."
They rely on HOP or the Hill Country Transit District, and thousands others do, too, in rural counties.
"We're the only public transportation in the area, so we provide public transportation to anyone," said Director of Rural Operations, Tony Austin.
"We don't have the luxury of the big cities, so there are a lot of people that need transportation."
The HOP has been operating since the 1960s, serving Coryell, Hamilton, Lampasas, Milam, Mills, Mason, Llano, Bell and San Saba counties.
However, funding for the program has been hard to find since the pandemic, primarily receiving grants.
"A lot of their grant funding has kind of scaled down, so each county has had to put a little funding in it to keep going," said Milam County Judge Bill Whitmire.
"$75,000 was required from Milam County."
Milam County Commissioners discussed the future of the program for months, but decided to fund the program in October.
"For a lot of these folks, they don't have any other way to get around and take care of the things they absolutely have to take care of — healthcare, shopping," Whitmire said.
They planned to split the costs between cities and school districts, paying $15,000 each.
"The cities and ISD's didn't want to participate," Whitmire said.
"Money's tight everywhere."
But now, the county can fund the service after receiving a donation for $60,000 from solar company, SB Energy, Monday.
The county will pay the remaining $15,000, and the funding will only last a year.
Whitmire says the commissioners will use the time to budget for the future.
"Going forward, we will continue to work it into our budget, so we will afford it if we have to," Whitmire said.
"But as everyone else, we'll always take some donations to help with that and other vital services."
Hunter and Roberson want the program to run for seniors like them.
"I'm very thankful to the HOP bus for all the friends I've met because I'm a people-person," Roberson said.
"I hope it stays right here forever," Hunter said.