Community Rides to Work

We're excited to welcome our newest driver, "Large" Marge, to the Community Rides team.

Originally a long haul trucker from Texas, she's decided to bring her talents to Ohio.

Her driving record is solid. Her stories are unforgettable. She loves to tell stories about a hitchhiker she picked up on the way to the Alamo. And she loves to tell our riders about "The Worst Accident She's Ever Seen..."

Happy Birthday to our board member, Chuck Drake! 🎉

Chuck has spent decades serving the nonprofit world and strengthening our community through his leadership and heart for service. We are incredibly lucky to have him on our board. Wishing you the happiest of birthdays, Chuck!

Community Rides made dozens of new friends last night!

Regular people in Miami County come together a few times a year to listen to the stories of local nonprofits and then personally fund the one they believe in. No big corporations. No fancy process. Just neighbors helping neighbors.
They chose to support Community Rides.

It’s such a cool concept and a powerful reminder that when everyday people come together, big impact happens.
Anyone can join. It’s a 30-minute meeting that turns into thousands of minutes of impact.
These funds will go straight to supporting our favorite habit… keeping our vans fueled.
We spend about $20,000 a year on gas alone getting people to work, to opportunity, and to stability.
Huge thanks to Give Where You Live Miami County 💙🚐. We encourage Miami County residents to check them out! Truly people helping people!

We love a great success story. Especially the kind that shows what can happen when nonprofits work together and truly collaborate.
So often, the most important pieces of stability are simple: housing, employment, and transportation.
A woman came to Troy through difficult circumstances - starting over with no job, no housing, and no car. Through partnership with Family Abuse Shelter of Miami County, Inc. and Partners in Hope she secured a safe place to stay and a job.
The last missing piece was transportation. Community Rides helped her get to and from work while she saved. Within a few months, Shaniqua purchased her own car.
This is the power of community. This is what success looks like. 💙🚐

We love getting people to work. And we love celebrating Troy.

Nights like this remind us why we do what we do. Local businesses, nonprofits, and leaders all in one room, working toward the same goal which is making Troy a great place to live and work.

These Chamber events are some of my favorites…especially because I get to make picture pages📸, hang out with our awesome board president, and sit at the big kids’ table this year 😉.

And you know it’s going to be a great evening when A Cup Of Joe Media greets you at the front door.
Thank you to the Ohio Chamber of Commerce for another night of bringing Troy together. ❤️🩶🖤

Say hello to Derric!
Derric is our newest driver, covering the 9pm-midnight shift. He's a true night owl who enjoys helping our 3rd shift riders get to and from work. He's always found fulfillment with helping others. We're excited to have him on our team.

When your vans disappear under a foot of snow… you call a hero named Owen. ❄️🚜

Huge thanks to Owen Waterman, a junior in high school, for snow-blowing and shoveling our vans like an absolute pro. What would’ve taken us forever took him no time at all.

Owen wanted to help the community. And because he knows people who rely on our service, he understands how important these vans are.

Community looks like this. Thanks, Owen! 👏🚐

🎉 Jazz hands because I finally got out of the van today! 🎉

Loved being part of Student United Way Day with students from Troy Schools Tipp City Schools Piqua City Schools Miami East Local Schools It’s pretty cool to help future leaders see everything Miami County has to offer.
I had the chance to share what Community Rides does alongside some great partners including Tipp Monroe Community Services , YWCA Piqua , Family Abuse Shelter of Miami County, Inc. , Miami County Dental Clinic The bottom-left photo is Sean Ford, Director of United Way of Miami County Ohio , who makes days like this possible.
Always happy to step out of the driver’s seat and into the classroom. And it requires jazz-hand enthusiasm.

4,300 hours of driving in one year… our vans basically live on coffee and good playlists. ☕🚐

But behind every mile is a real person getting to work, keeping stability, and building a better future. We’re proud to serve Troy, and grateful for the drivers, riders, donors, and partners who make this possible.

Onward to more miles in 2026.

Once again the laundry program hosted by the Troy Church of the Brethren is starting their outreach for 2026.
Please call or forward this schedule for anyone you know that may need a ride. 937-823-1445