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Uber vouchers help clients and staff travel safely and efficiently to important destinations.
When clients at The Salvation Army Kroc Center in San Francisco request help, they’re often looking for housing or job referrals. What they don’t expect is a ride to their destination.
Hearing, “We can set you up with Uber,” is a welcome surprise.
For individuals without a car and for whom bus travel is impractical, those words can make life easier and safer, removing what can be a barrier to positive change: access to transportation.
With support from Uber, the Kroc Center received credits in September 2024 to request rides for their clients.
The Kroc Center sits in the heart of San Francisco’s Tenderloin—a district with consistently high crime rates, where many of the city’s 4,000-plus unsheltered individuals dwell on the streets.
“No one should have to walk through this,” Mark Maza of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management told CBS News in 2023.
“The look on their faces, when they realize we can help them even more [with a ride] is very special, and we would not be able to do this if we didn’t have this program.”
Austin-Thayer Marfori, Kroc Center Social Services Coordinator
And with the Uber rides, individuals at the Kroc Center don’t have to. They have access to a safe way out.
“Access to reliable transportation can open doors to life-changing opportunities. By granting Uber credits for rides, we’re proud to support The Salvation Army Kroc Center and be part of their journey toward positive change,” said Erin Hart, Social Impact Manager for Uber.
The Kroc Center has been distributing the credits as vouchers on a case-by-case basis to clients and staff members.
Kroc Center Social Services Coordinator Austin-Thayer Marfori said he recently used the credits for two clients who needed to get to an appointment at a housing shelter.
“They’re 68 and it’s hard for them to get on the bus,” he said. “It’s a lot easier for them to take an Uber.”
And that’s only one way the credits have helped.
Marfori said the center first used the credits to help Yoseymila Melendes, who has a child in the center’s after-school program. Melendes was due to give birth in two weeks when she received her first ride. Without a car, she had been taking the bus to and from her doctor’s appointments.
Marfori said she told him how exhausting the bus rides had been and what a sense of relief the Uber rides brought her during her last weeks of pregnancy.
Rahul Chandra works at an urgent care, and often leaves work around 10 p.m. He received help with his commute.
“Uber credits have helped me get home from work safely when I am either very tired or do not want to take the bus really late,” he said.
The vouchers are also helping Andrew Washington—a former Kroc Center summer daycare employee—get to and from his job, which had required an hour-and-a-half commute each way, including a 30-minute shuttle ride to the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) metro station and then 50 minutes on the train.
“During a transit issue that caused delays with the metro line, I was able to get to my destination, thanks to the Uber app for being quick and user-friendly,” Washington said. “Within minutes, I was connected to a driver and worry-free of public transit.”
He said being able to call an Uber at any time makes him feel better when going to work on last-minute notice, especially when it’s in an unfamiliar area.
The credits also help some Kroc Center employees manage a long commute, making continued employment at the center possible. Pritisha Kumar, an after-school program staff member, has used the credits to travel to work from Pittsburgh (California), about 41 miles from San Francisco.
The program’s flexibility allows the Kroc Center team to respond to needs as they arise, helping The Salvation Army to better fulfill its mission of meeting human needs without discrimination.
“We deeply appreciate Uber for generously providing rideshare credits to support The Salvation Army’s San Francisco Kroc Center,” said Territorial Corporate Engagement Director Amy Hudson. “These rides are a lifeline for those we serve, providing a safe and reliable way to navigate high-crime areas and reach essential destinations. Our heartfelt thanks to Uber for making a meaningful impact in the community.”
Marfori continues to witness the impact as he distributes the vouchers.
“The look on their faces, when they realize we can help them even more [with a ride] is very special, and we would not be able to do this if we didn’t have this program,” Marfori said. “We try our best, with everyone who comes through here, to help with everything. And if we can’t, the fact that we’re able to get them somewhere where they can get that help, that means a lot to them. It shows them that we really care.”
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