Volunteer Interfaith Caregivers Southwest, better known as Senior Rides and More, helps the frail and elderly who have aged out of driving by providing free one-on-one transportation using volunteers when available. If a volunteer is not available, our staff will assist in getting a Lyft/Uber car and driver for our care receiver, and we pay all costs associated with this ride share program. We assist those aged 65 and older, and again, our services are free to our eligible care receivers.

We envision a community where our elderly are no longer homebound due to lack of affordable transportation options.

Source: Nonprofit submitted responses

Goal One: Goal 1 - Expand our service area annually. Goal 2 - Increase services offered to our seniors. Goal 3 - Provide resources to assist our services as they live out their lives in their own homes.

Goal Type: New program(s) based on observed changes in needs among our constituencies/communities served.

Goal Two: Our seniors' needs are always changing and we strive to adapt to these changes. Our seniors contact us because they are in need of transportation, however as their situations change, we can help.

Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.

Goal Three: Our service is needed in more areas than we are equipped to serve, however our strategic plan is to add to our service area by zip code each year in order to assist as many seniors as we can.

Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.

What has gotten in the way of your oganization pursuing this investment?

Our program has grown faster than we could imagine and time constraints have kept our Executive Director from being able to attend leadership courses as desired. However, she attends as many online and in-person one-day events as possible to expand her skill set until

This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:

• Strategic Partnerships

• Networks of Collective Impact Efforts

• Thought Leadership

• Raising Awareness

What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?

Senior Rides and More is the only organization in the Houston area that provides free one-on-one volunteer transportation for the elderly, therefore, collaboration with other similar nonprofits is challenging. However, we do collaborate with nonprofits that serve the senior population. This collaboration allows seniors to gain multiple levels of resources and assistance.

These past couple of years have affected many nonprofits, mostly in a negative way. We have seen other nonprofits close their doors. Senior Rides and More saw a decline in client rides during Covid due to our elderly following the quarantine/isolation mandates. We pivoted to bring necessary services directly to them. Our funding remained steady, so we channeled some of that funding directly to our seniors by expanding services. We created the initiative of grocery delivery since our seniors did not feel safe going to the stores in-person. We paid all delivery fees, and even paid for the groceries if the senior identified as low-income. Our staff organized gift bags with puzzle books and useful items for our seniors, and delivered them to their doors. Phone calls were made to stave off isolation. When Covid vaccines because readily available, seniors were first in line and we answered the call to transport them to the vaccine sites and medical facilities. Thankfully we are now back to full transportation services and our seniors are making up for lost time.