We're still at a point, even though it is 2025, where transportation continues to be a really painful barrier for our residents and needing access to a vehicle, being able to obtain a valid driver's license, being able to pay for repairs.

You know, we have 42% of our families in the state of Michigan who are just one crisis away.

Say that again, 42%?

And our region, south eastern Michigan, parallels where the state is in terms of being able to meet their most basic needs.

Right.

And Ed, I mean, explain what that looks like on the ground.

Right.

Because we can put out sort of the data and the numbers.

But how does that affect someone's daily life and then just sort of solutions for the state as we're trying to move the state forward?

We think about it, you know, you get up to go to work in the morning and all of a sudden, you know, your car breaks down, for example.

Right.

And how do you get to work?

How do you go get groceries?

How do you get your kids to school?

How do you get these life events right, Get through the day?

And so we're excited to support and partner the United Way with Pride United to really help when those issues do come up, when there is that opportunity or that opportunity to help someone that needs a ride to get to a job interview, to get a job as well.

That's what I'm curious about from sort of Bank of America's perspective, I don't want to say it's all just, you know, the economy for you and finances, but I mean, it is an economic issue for the state.

1,000% it is.

And it's it's really a tough economic issue to solve because you've got to figure out a way to get people the transportation they need to get to their livelihoods, take care of their family, to get to food access, etc..

So this is a really a unique opportunity to really help out with a great program with the United Way and really help people.

I think we've helped over 130,000 people.

And we have some advice we've given you, but we've actually helped over 40,000 people now.

But we have a number of folks who come repeatedly getting those rides.

They're referred from our social navigators and we're helping them.

We have a 100 people now who have obtained those 175 excuse me, have gotten those driver's licenses.

Well, so fill us in.

That's exactly where I wanted to go next, because you really I mean, you know, we can all sit around here and state the problem, but you two are working on solutions.

Tell us a little bit about what you're doing and how it's working.

Doctor, I'll start with you.

So Bank of America has been a strong partner of United Way for decades now and Ed has actually been on our board for 13 years.

And the investments really are focused on economic mobility and making sure people have access again to, you know, getting out of crisis and being able to be more stable and finally being on a road to prosperity.

And that's what Pride United allows us to be able to do.

We have partnerships around our VITA program.

That's a volunteer income tax assistance program.

And it's all around getting our people more economically mobile and getting them more stable.

And Bank of America allows us to be able to do that with their continued investments.

So what has that been like then to be able to see some of these changes happening?

I mean, incredible, right?

Obviously, you know, you're trying to make an impact, but when you see it firsthand and you see the impact and you see people getting their life getting through their lives much better off because of this, you can't help but be overjoyed.