The MBTA is partnering with the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, the Boston Foundation, and five neighborhood health centers to provide CharlieCards to more city residents.

The T will provide 5,000 CharlieCards preloaded with five dollars each to the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, Mattapan Community Health Center, South End Community Health Center, Uphams Corner Health Center, and Whittier Street Community Health Center. Each Health Center will receive 1,000 CharlieCards to distribute to its clients.

“Too many of our customers have difficulty getting CharlieCards,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “This is especially true in transit-dependent communities where bus service is often the predominant mode of transportation. With today’s partnership announcement, we are addressing this issue by making CharlieCards more widely available and making taking the T more accessible.”

CharlieCards are reusable plastic fare cards that can be loaded with cash value, or 1-day, 7-day, or monthly passes. By providing easier access, the T says, it hopes to incentivize riders to utilize CharlieCards and fare vending machines throughout their travels, thus saving time and improving customer convenience.