Women’s History Month: Tina Singleton
Published on March 13, 2024
by Logan Lover
Communications Division
“It took strong, courageous women to make history. I didn't walk this walk alone; we need each other.”
- Paratransit Operator Tina Singleton
Tina Singleton has served the Charlotte community as a paratransit operator for the past 24 years and loves what she does! Singleton says her job is very rewarding and it’s a joy to interact with her clients every day.
“My clients know me, and I know them,” Singleton said. “When I pick up a client for the first time and we don’t know one another, they become mine once they’re on my bus. So, if it’s somebody’s mom I’m picking up, she becomes my mom. If somebody’s daughter or son, they become my daughter or son.”
CATS paratransit operators offer services to individuals who cannot access fixed bus routes due to a disability. Singleton serves the visually impaired daily, and for some clients, paratransit is their only means of transportation. In addition to many other places, Singleton transports clients to and from grocery stores, church, adult daycares and medical treatments, such as dialysis and chemotherapy.
When she went to pick up a client this week, Singleton discovered the client had just lost her leg, requiring Singleton to physically assist more than normal.
“I had to let her lean on me, and I had to get her wheelchair quickly because she was weak and her leg was giving out,” Singleton said. “She thanked me, and I told her, “Today I am your legs.”
Singleton makes an impact in her role at CATS by always being positive and keeping a smile on her face.
“I’m always happy to be at work and happy to inspire someone along the way,” Singleton said. “If a client tells me they’re having a bad day, I tell them that tomorrow will be better.”
When asked what Women’s History Month means to her, Singleton said, “It means that I am blessed and honored that women before me paved the way to make it a better place for me. They let me know that I can do anything. They taught me how to believe in myself.”
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