The Salina Area United Way will soon be hitting the streets. Thanks in a part to  a $5,000 grant from the Greater Salina Community Foundation, the agency will soon have a mobile outreach unit.

According to the agency, the funds will be used to convert an Eldorado Aerotech bus to be used as a mobile outreach unit to provide services including a mobile library, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site and volunteer services throughout the community.

The Community Action Mobile Outreach Vehicle, or CAMO Vehicle, will help expand capacity in each of the organization’s three focus areas.

In support of the education goal, the CAMO Vehicle will serve as a mobile library for the Salina Area United Way’s summer reading program, Raising Active, Wild Readers (RAWR). It will allow transportation of more books to and from community schools.

“Our financial stability goal will be served by expanding the reach of our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. During the VITA season, the CAMO Vehicle will be outfitted with two self preparation workstations. This will allow us to bring free online tax filing to citizens who may not otherwise visit the VITA office,” said Amanda Michaelis, Executive Director Salina Area United Way.

The CAMO Vehicle will assist in improving the health of our community in response to a disaster as a mobile volunteer check-in site or at large clean-up projects.

Grant funds will be used to equip the bus with WiFi capabilities, design and production of a wrap for the vehicle as brand identification, and adding mobile workstations. Additional support comes from Casey’s and Nex-Tech.