Benzie Bus drivers spend 2020 giving free rides, delivering food, medicine

You’ll get where you need to be — but locals know the extra miles Benzie Bus’s drivers are willing to go. Driver Sandra Culbertson might pick up a small neighborhood’s worth of food bank supplies, or take a quick detour to collect a regular’s waiting prescription. For Scott Powell, it can be delivering handmade masks to nursing homes or at-risk households.

The public transportation depot, which operates in Benzie County, first stood up to meet COVID-19 in the spring. Under Executive Director Bill Kennis’ lead, they’ve remained stalwart in making those drives, offering a smile to at-risk regulars and cheery greetings to younger riders — who seem to grow into adults before Powell’s eyes. Benzie Bus has organized prescription delivery services, drop-offs of food bank supplies, deliveries of handmade masks and laundry pick-ups. Plain ‘ol transportation, too, makes the list.