By Caryl Tipton

As you may know, the UUCWC Transportation Fundraiser was paused during the pandemic. Since restarting in mid-2004, we have collected over $7,000 in donations for the church. How it works: volunteers respond to requests for rides to and from the Philadelphia or Newark airports, or local train stations. There is a set fee for each destination, which goes to the church, and a small tip for the driver to cover tolls, gas, and other expenses.

With this service, instead of riding with an unknown airport van, Uber, or Lyft driver, you can ride with a trusted and safe driver from UUCWC, and your fee will go to the church. I’ve enjoyed spending time with new members during the trip and catching up with people I haven’t seen in a while. An added bonus has been spending time with those I’ve known for years but never had the chance to have an extended conversation and get to know them better. A win/win situation for everyone, I’d say! Next time you’re traveling, think of us.

At one point, we had seven volunteer drivers. We are now down to four. We need more drivers, especially with vacation months coming up. It’s not a major time commitment and happens only occasionally. We want to prevent our current volunteers from burning out and to serve more people when they call for rides.

If you need a ride or want to discuss volunteering, please contact me at transportation@uucwc.org.