When kids get older, there are celebrations with every milestone. Adults get older, too, but the milestones can look different. A diagnosis, an accident, or the typical challenges of aging can turn something as simple as going to the doctor into an equation to solve.

Who can leave work? Who can rearrange child care? Who can drive two hours each way? And what happens when there isn’t anyone available to take Mom to her doctor’s appointment?
For the residents of Wellspring Senior Living Campus in Saginaw Township, having access to safe, reliable public transportation allows them to take control of their transportation, giving them independence that has been transformational for their them and their entire families.

“STARS is a blessing for me because when I go to Covenant, I’m there for three hours. So, if [my son] takes me, he has to leave work, take me, come back and get me three hours later. If a friend takes me, they have to do the same: either stay with me all three hours or come back,” resident Sandy Krause said. “With STARS, I just call them. They tell me exactly when they’re going to pick me up, and they’re exactly on time. … I don’t know what I would do without them because I just can’t keep bugging my friends to take me.”

Becky French, the daughter of a Wellspring resident, lives two hours north of Saginaw and spends her winters in Florida. Her husband’s medical condition restricts them from living in the cold of Michigan winters, so French can’t take her mom to medical appointments even when she wants to.

“This place is a blessing for me, as much as it is for [my mom]. … I’m so appreciative that [STARS Lift] is something that’s available for her doctor appointments and whatever else is necessary,” French said. “I’m very appreciative of STARS and [Wellspring] because I have more peace of mind with mom being here.”

In some cases, there isn’t a friend or family member to call when driving becomes impossible.

“I’m very, very grateful that STARS is available. When I call STARS for rides, they do their best to make sure they can accommodate your schedule,” Char Robbins, a Wellspring resident, said. “And if it wasn’t for STARS, I don’t know what I would do because I don’t have transportation other than that.”

These residents rely on the STARS paratransit service, Lift, to get to their appointments and manage their health. Lift is available to people age 60 and older and people with qualifying disabilities who live within three-quarters of a mile of a fixed bus route.

“It’s a good service. It’s really helped with independence. I was scared to do it the first time. I didn’t know what to expect. But after the first time, I saw how kind and caring everyone was, and I’m like, ‘oh, this is pretty cool,’” Tammi Dreher, a Wellspring resident, said.

As of Aug. 31, Lift provided a total of 15,725 rides in 2026, with about 5,000 of them originating in Saginaw Township. Behind every ride is a person who needed a way to get where they were going, and Lift was there to make it happen.

“People who use STARS have the same needs as anyone else. They need to get to work, the grocery store, medical appointments, and other important destinations, and those destinations don’t stop at a city or township boundary,” STARS Executive Director Amy Bidwell said. “We provided more than 100,000 rides [DC1.1]in Saginaw Township last year, so we know there is a significant need for transportation beyond the City of Saginaw.”

STARS operates with limited local funding from the City of Saginaw, meaning the agency must balance transportation needs throughout the region with the resources available to provide service.

“We want to provide service where we can, but expanding service requires sustainable funding to make sure we can continue providing reliable transportation to the people who depend on us,” Bidwell said.

When safe, reliable public transit is in the picture, children can spend less time with logistics, coordination, and worry, and more time with their loved ones.

“As much as these ladies [of Wellspring] appreciate STARS, us as the kids appreciate it twice as much too,” French said. “Because it gives us peace of mind.”

For more information on STARS Lift, visit https://saginaw-stars.com/services/lift/.