Round and round with the Eden Prairie Shopping Bus

It’s just another Tuesday in Eden Prairie, which mean’s there’s a crowd of people with places to go, errands to run. They all file into the Eden Prairie Shopping Bus as it makes its way around the city.As two of the many volunteers for the Bus, Shirley Boyington and Mary Keating are there to help those people reach their destinations.

The bus is primarily used by senior citizens and two volunteers typically ride along to help passengers on and off, and carry packages. The SouthWest Transit shopping bus runs every Tuesday morning, making stops at senior communities of Edendale, Sterling Ponds and The Colony, then to shopping destinations of EP Center, Cub and Wal-Mart.

For the passengers and volunteers the bus provides a unique experience.Boyington, who has been volunteering once a month for about four years, said it really is fun.

“Those people just appreciate everything you do for them so much,” she said.

For the passengers, volunteers also provide familiar, friendly face to connect to. Boyington sometimes brings marshmallow treats to share (and passengers have been known to bring cookies).

Boyington has even taken a group out for breakfast at the new pancake house.She was surprised a couple of times this winter just how many people were out just to go shopping, even when it was cold and snowy. 

“It’s icy, it’s slippery out there and they’re just gung ho to go.”

Keating, who is a community services coordinator with the city, notes that, without the shopping bus, many of the passengers would have to rely on a relative or Metro Mobility, which you must call to set up ahead of time.

SouthWest Transit is very good about sponsoring this program, notes Keating.

It’s a subsidized program – passengers pay $1 for the Tuesday trips. “It fills a need of a particular population,” said Keating.The Shopping Bus has recently expanded to a larger bus, as more residents make use of the service. Along with stops at senior communities, the bus also makes a pick-up near PDQ.

Last Tuesday morning, the shopping bus was full of lively chatter as it made its usual rounds in the city. Keating kept a tally of who was going where to make sure no residents where left behind.

One passenger remarks that the nicest thing about the bus was people helping each other.

Another passenger, Ella Adams, said it was just wonderful that the community has this service. “I don’t know what we’d do without it.”

For many passengers it may be their only weekly chance to do the needed shopping.

“I like to get out of my apartment once in a while,” noted Adams.

Maxine Childers was on her third ride with the bus. She was planning to return a few items at Wal-Mart – “They’ve got everything there.”

A recent arrival to Eden Prairie, she notes Edina didn’t have a service like this. 

“I’ll probably use it every chance I get,” she said.