RideCares Giving Tuesday MVPs
GivingTuesday is a global day for folks to give back. “We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday,” according to the organization’s website. This year, GivingTuesday estimates that at least $120 million dollars was donated to a variety of charities in the name of philanthropy. On December 1, 2015, RideCares joined in on the giving festivities by matching members’ pledges. Here are some RideCares GivingTuesday MVPs for 2015.
Turning Something B.A.D. into Something GOOD
To date, Bruce B. has donated roughly $92.00 to The Missy Project as a driver for Lyft. The charity, which raises awareness for brain aneurysm disease (B.A.D.), launched after Marisa (Missy) Magel was suddenly taken from her family and friends. The pre-teen was having the time of her life at summer camp when she suffered a brain aneurysm. No one had a clue anything was wrong with Bruce’s vibrant, enthusiastic niece and goddaughter.
The Missy Project was founded on what would have been Missy’s 13th birthday. It is committed to education, outreach, and aneurysm detection research.
For GivingTuesday, Bruce donated $100 to the 501(c)(3) and RideCares matched his pledge dollar-for-dollar. Congratulations, Bruce, for helping The Missy Project identify sufferers and stop B.A.D. from tearing apart more families.
Making Life Less Ruff for Austin’s Pets
Austin Pets Alive! has been a lifeline for needy animals since 2008. They’re a no-kill shelter that provides TLC to Austin’s sick, troubled, and homeless dogs and cats. So it’s no surprise that several RideCares GivingTuesday MVPs donated their earnings to this amazing organization.
So far, Mariah A. has pledged $66.50 to Austin Pets Alive! The Lyft driver supports APA “because they never give up on a pet. Just ask Neville.” Due to her commitment to donate 25% of her tips and $10 for every new passenger trying out the service for the first time, we anticipate seeing Mariah on the 2016 RideCares GivingTuesday MVP list, as well.
When Lisa H. became a RideCares member, her 17 year old kitty had recently been diagnosed with diabetes ketoacidosis and nearly lost his life. “He was a rescue, but really, he was the one who rescued me,” Lisa explained. “What would I do without my boy?” The $21.40 that Lisa has so far pledged to Austin Pets Alive! from her driving tips, in addition to RideCares’ $58.30 matching donation, helps ensure that more vulnerable cats and dogs will get the help they so desperately need.
One “Big” Donation
When Matthew O. is not giving Austinites a lift around town, you can find him fishing, bowling, or playing catch with his “little” – Little Brother, that is.
As a member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas, Matthew is a role model for a young man who otherwise wouldn’t have one. And he knows more than anyone the power of being a “Big.” As a boy, Matthew’s parents went through a difficult divorce. Having a Big Brother by his side gave Matthew someone to help him through an extremely tough time; and it has grown into a lifelong bond. “We’ve kept in contact even after I turned 18. When I visit we catch up on each other’s lives.”
With Matthew’s $50 donation, and RideCares’ GivingTuesday matching funds, BBBS of Central Texas can continue providing community-based mentoring to disadvantaged children and their families.
Read All About It
Lenell R. supports Inside Books Project, an organization that has provided more than a quarter million books to Texas inmates. Thanks to donating her Lyft tips for GivingTuesday 2015, even more incarcerated individuals have the opportunity to receive free books and participate in reading, literacy, and education programming.
In 2014, Inside Books Project received more than 18,000 requests from jailed men and women in Texas. Thanks to supporters like Lenell, the 501(c)(3) was able to provide novels, non-fiction, and legal textbooks to 35,000 inmates.
You don’t have to be a RideCares MVP to help your favorite charity, just pledge a portion of your Lyft or Uber tips. Join the community driving for good:
-RideCares Team