During the COVID-19 era — which seems to never end — we’ve seen numerous examples of local residents or organizations riding to the rescue for those in need.

This past week was no different. Due to all but one of its drivers falling ill — and the tragic loss of one of them — the Butler Transit Authority suspended all of its bus routes until further notice late last week, although some were expected to resume Tuesday.

As a result, everyone from Butler County Community College students — who use The Bus for transportation to and from class — to seniors who utilize public transportation for doctor’s visits and grocery shopping were suddenly stuck with no means of getting around.

So, we were glad to see the Community Partnership step in Friday to offer free produce to those who were unable to access fresh food following the suspension of bus service.

The partnership provided baskets of tomatoes, greens, squash, carrots, radishes, jalapeno peppers, watermelon and other produce from its three gardens.

Some county residents affected by the bus service suspension told the Eagle they were inconvenienced by the suspension because there are no nearby stores to which they can walk to purchase fresh produce.

Sandy Curry, program manager at Community Partnership, said the organization’s ability to provide the free produce was a matter of good timing for a bad situation.

“We picked 200 pounds of tomatoes this week — it just so happened that our big tomato harvest coincided with The Bus stoppage,” she said.

She said food prices have been on the rise recently, so the suspension of the bus routes makes it even harder for those who are already vulnerable. About 20 people, including some from the nearby Cliffside Apartments senior high rise, had stopped by to pick up the free produce by mid-afternoon on Friday.

The pandemic has been a great challenge for many people, and we hope the other transit authority bus drivers who are ill recover quickly, and that the suspended bus lines are soon reinstated, so those who rely on them for transportation can once again have access to stores offering fresh produce.

Meanwhile, Community Partnership deserves a round of applause for stepping in to help those affected by the canceled bus routes.

— NCD