NewTrax
There are certain segments of the population that experience major challenges when it comes to transportation: seniors who are no longer driving, children who are not yet old enough to drive, and people living with disabilities who are unable to safely get behind the wheel.
JOHN WAYNE BARKER.... THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
John Wayne Barker, who was named Executive Director for Merrick Inc., in 1998, is leaving the organization in good hands as he gets ready to retire in June 2025. He first began working with people with disabilities in the late 1970s after an experience that touched him deeply.
“ In 1978, I was a student at St. Cloud State University and drove a school bus. A good friend also drove a school bus and his riders were all elementary kids with disabilities who, in that era, attended a segregated school. Because families were reticent to bring their children with disabilities into the community, it was his idea to have the Dayton’ s store loan us their Santa suit for me to wear and also to donate some presents and candy so that we could visit the homes of each of the kids on his bus route,” said Barker.
“ Surprisingly they did and so one evening, I dressed as Santa and he as an elf, and we went to each of the kids’ homes. At each house the mom was crying, the dad was beaming, the kid with a disability and any sibling were overjoyed, and at some point in the evening I thought to myself,‘ Hey I think I could work with people who have disabilities.’”
He went on to work in the disability field for 46 years.
The northeast metro is fortunate to have several nonprofits that provide transportation services to those in need, including Newtrax, whose founding partners are Merrick Inc. and PAI.“ We provide the vast majority of their transportation to and from their program sites, along with other adult day programs,” said Mike Greenbaum, Newtrax’ s Executive Director.
Newtrax also provides group transportation for students from their high school to after school programs, such as Vocal Essence music education and Project Success, as well as group ride transportation to dozens of senior residential programs, but that’ s not all.
“ One of the things we are very proud of is we continue to expand our senior circulator loop in area communities,” said Greenbaum, who added that two new loops were started in 2024: one in Oakdale, the other in Shoreview.
Throughout the day, senior circulator loops pick up residents at bus stops near their homes, and transport then to shopping centers and medical offices along the major thoroughfares, then back home.
In 2025, plans call for adding six more circulator loops in the east metro, mainly around St. Paul and Roseville. These will be in addition to the north and south loops already running in White Bear Lake, and the loops in Stillwater, Forest Lake and the east side of St. Paul.
Also in 2025, Newtrax expects to have completed the task of replacing at least half of its vehicles with new, more comfortable buses.“ The 30 new buses we had ordered well before the pandemic struck finally started coming in at the end of 2023,” said Greenbaum.
In 2024, Press Publications readers named Newtrax the area’ s Best Large
Employer for the second year in a row in its Readers’ Choice 2024 Best of the Press awards program.
More information about Newtrax can be found online at Newtrax. org
NEWTRAX NewTrax Inc. 3700 Highway 61 N White Bear Lake, MN 5510 Phone: 651-789-6221 E-mail: info @ newtrax. org
Solid Ground
The Northeast Metro is also fortunate to have a nonprofit focused on housing families that serves the community. Since 1987, Solid Ground has been providing affordable housing and supportive programs to local families in danger of or experiencing homelessness. In 2024, Solid Ground served 486 families in Ramsey and Washington County. One thousand ninety-three or 62 percent of the individuals served are children.
According to Diamond Hunter, Newtrax’ s Executive Director, the focus in 2025 is on planned growth through community partnerships and sustainability through strong fiscal management. Four point one million dollars in renovations began at East Metro Place in 2024 and will finish in May of 2025. East Metro Place provides 34 units of transitional and permanent supportive housing in White Bear Lake. Details and pictures can be found on the website Solidgroundmn. org
26 Northeast Metro Business