We all know that the more people carpool, the less traffic we’ll experience around town. But have you ever wondered about the other community benefits that the act of sharing rides could bring?
Enter: our Drive for Thanksgiving Carma! Just in time for the holidays, Carma Austin is pledging to donate $1 to Meals on Wheels and More for every carpool trip taken by Central Texas residents for the month of November. This drive is based on the idea that all good deeds come full circle – carpool today, and help improve mobility for the good of the community tomorrow.
We got connected to Thad Rosenfeld of Meals on Wheels and More, who told us: “Our volunteers give their time to deliver meals within the community, and when they experience traffic around town, that has a very real impact on our operations and those sweet older folks waiting for their lunches.” Transportation mobility is a key factor in making the Meals on Wheels and More programs successful. The non-profit organization provides hot, nutritious lunches to older, homebound adults, in addition to other life-enabling services. Their program wouldn’t be possible without the 250 daily volunteers who deliver meals in Central Texas, primarily Travis and Williamson Counties. Traffic congestion can be a very real challenge to getting those meals delivered on time.
Meals on Wheels and More will have more than 120,000 meals to deliver between now and Christmas. Each hot nutritious meal that is purchased, prepared, and delivered by volunteers costs about $2.50.
Through our donation drive, we’re setting the goal for Carma members to collectively take at least 1,250 carpools this month. That donation of $1,250 would mean 500 local residents could receive meals, funded on our carpoolers’ behalf, during the holidays. Plus, holiday traffic will be alleviated. We think that’s a pretty amazing thing!
How to Participate in the Drive for Thanksgiving Carma:
- Download the free Carma Carpooling app for iPhone or Android by visiting www.carmacarpool.com/austin.
- Carpool with friends, family, coworkers, or find a new carpool buddy through the Carma app. Carma helps you locate neighbors nearby with a matching commute route and schedule.
- Record your carpools by hitting “Start Trip” in the app before you begin your journey; hit “End Trip” once you reach your destination.
Carma will donate $1 on behalf of each individual for every carpool trip tracked with the Carma Carpooling app, from November 1 – November 30th. The more carpools the community takes, the more we’ll donate! We’ll be tweeting fundraiser updates throughout the month via @CarmaATX.
The final donation amount will be made to Meals on Wheels and More in early December.