RightRides Needs Your Support!

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This is a guest post from Oraia Reed of RightRides, an incredible grassroots organization that’s been around for years, giving women safe rides home and advocating against sexual violence and harassment in NYC. Please check out the following message and support them if you can!

RightRides for Women’s Safety was founded in 2004 as a DIY response to an increase in sexual assaults targeting women walking home alone in North Brooklyn neighborhoods. The founders took direct action and started providing a free, late-night car ride home. Today, RightRides is run by nearly 200 volunteers, receives donated vehicles courtesy of Zipcar and safely transports women and LGBTQ folks who live in 45 neighborhoods throughout New York City on Friday and Saturday nights. Since 2004, RightRides has ushered over 3,000 riders home safely.

With the goal of eradicating gender-based violence by engaging vulnerable communities through direct service and intervention, safety education, grassroots organizing, and policy advocacy, RightRides co-founded and manages New Yorkers for Safe Transit, the only coalition in NYC working to end gender-based violence in public transportation–including sexual harassment, queer bashing, and assault.

Like most grassroots organizations, RightRides has been hard-hit by the economic downturn.  It’s an extremely critical time for RightRides and they’re needing to raise $5,000 between now and December 1st, to ensure that their programs can remain operational.  Can you help?  RightRides relies on the enduring kindness of folks like you who support its mission, and that’s why they have come up with Ways to Give… Creatively! We ask you to use whatever resources you have at your disposal–financial or otherwise–to help sustain this necessary and innovative organization.

Buy Holiday Gifts Online

Before you make purchases on Amazon.com, click through the RightRides’ affiliate link and 5% of your total purchase will be contributed to RightRides! Yes, it really is that easy.

Have a Party
Most of us will host or attend at least one gathering over the holidays, so while you already have your community together, ask them to pool their funds to make a large, collective donation. RightRides can even provide information for your guests.

In-Kind Kindness
With the proliferation of Gift Cards, you can make an in-kind donation of items RightRides always need–like office supplies, photo copies, and meeting refreshments–and help keep overhead low. Many companies, such as Amazon.com, Staples, and Whole Foods, even allow you to order Gift Cards online and send them to us directly. The saved expense of one printer ink cartridge pays for the annual Zipcar membership fees for one RightRides volunteer.

Start a Family Tradition
Family traditions have to start somewhere, so why not with you? Ask your family members (or friends!) to make a charitable contribution to RightRides in lieu of sending a present. Every $10 safely ushers another rider home.

Stay Up Late for Safety
RightRides is always in need of night owls who are willing to dedicate one weekend night each month to volunteer as a driver, navigator, or dispatcher transporting New Yorkers to safety. Maybe you just like to drive or have a penchant for reading maps, maybe you want an awesome way to explore the city and give back, whatever reason you choose to volunteer is a good one.  You can volunteer with a friend or we can pair you up with another friendly volunteer.

Point Us in the Right Direction
Frequent credit card users and air travelers can donate your rewards points and airline miles. RightRides staff members are invited to attend conferences and trainings around the country that they can’t always attend because of lack of funds. Your points will help grow the organization by broadening support networks and connecting with nonprofit leaders in other cities. If you don’t use points, they may expire, so donate them to RightRides instead.

Show Recurring Love
Consider adding a small RightRides donation to your monthly budget by signing up to make a recurring donation via PayPal. It can not be said enough that every dollar counts, but all of the dollars don’t have to come in at once.  RightRides would be grateful for your recurring (donation) love!  And that $25 you would have spent going out, will usher 30 folks safely home each year.

Thank you for being a part of our work to eradicate violence against women and LGBTQ individuals in New York City. If you’d like to make a one-time gift in the name of a loved one, please mail checks to the address below or donate via PayPal to info@rightrides.org.

We hope your holidays are happy and safe!