Lyft announces recipients of its LyftUp Community Grants program in New Jersey

NEW JERSEY (Dec 1, 2020) – Lyft, whose mission is to improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation, today announced the recipients of its LyftUp Community Grants program to support the important work of New Jersey area non-profit organizations across the country making a difference in their communities.

This year Lyft announced that for the remainder of 2020, LyftUp Community Grants would go toward local organizations directly supporting communities of color. This is a part of our ongoing commitment to help eliminate transportation as a barrier to upward mobility for minorities, especially Black individuals and Black communities and to support access to the essential services needed to survive and thrive in the wake of COVID.

In the New Jersey area, Lyft has awarded the following organizations:

• Melinated Moms to provide free ride credits for moms to attend doctor’s appointments and other essential services.
• Ironbound Community Corporation to help families and seniors access essential goods and services like doctor’s appointments, groceries, job interviews, financial institutions and its Remote Learning Child Care Program, as well as to securely transport community members experiencing domestic violence to safety.
• Nassan’s Place to help and support families who need access to transportation to get to and from grocery stores and doctor’s appointments.
• Rutgers Community Christian Church to provide free ride credits for seniors and families to access essential goods and services to the hospital, job interviews, mechanic, and their on-campus food distribution program.
• Brick Education Network to provide free ride credits for residents of Newark’s South Ward to access essential services and resources.

“Melinated Moms is committed to breaking down the barriers of motherhood in the communities of color that we serve,” said Jaye Wilson, Founding President and CEO, Melinated Moms. “We are partnering with Lyft to connect our moms to the most important parts of life. From doctor appointments to the voting booths, we are committed to changing the narrative of motherhood, sisterhood and womanhood on ride at a time.”

“The coronavirus pandemic has hit those that have the least far worse. Something as simple as getting to a doctor’s appointment, going to the grocery store, getting to a job interview, or dropping off your kids at childcare can seem impossible when you simply do not have the money to get to where you have to go,” said Vicky Hernandez, Executive Director, Ironbound Community Corporation. “The LyftUp free credit rides are such a welcome support for our families and community members that are struggling during this difficult time, especially in communities of color, like Ironbound.”

“Nassan’s Place greatly appreciates the support we have received from Lyft in helping us to lift the spirits and put smiles on the faces of the families we serve, who are affected by autism in and around underserved inner-city communities and need access to transportation for essential goods and services,” said Nadine Wright-Arbubakrr, President, Nassan’s Place. 

“This year we saw an unprecedented number of families struck with hardship due to the pandemic. Vulnerable families, elderly, and disabled people were affected by the danger of illness, economic hardship, food insecurity, and access to essentials,” said Rev. James Hsiao

Rutgers Community Christian Church. Through the LyftUp grant program, we helped individuals find transportation solutions and build confidence and hope to weather this season of hardship we all are experiencing.”

“The lingering effects of COVID-19 continue to negatively impact the South Ward of Newark. The Lyft grant provides so much more than a ride to or from a destination. It’s about access. Access to everyday, essential services and resources that South Ward residents are often forced to live without due to a lack of reliable and safe transportation,” said Nichelle Holder, Chief Program Officer for BRICK. 

“We want to increase access to transportation for those who need it, particularly to meet their essential needs during this time. By awarding LyftUp Community Grants to these organizations in New Jersey, we’re able to fill mobility needs for communities of color,” said Eleise Richards, Community Strategist for Lyft in New Jersey. 

LyftUp Community Grants was developed in 2018 to help Lyft identify and connect with some of North America’s hardest working organizations. Any 501(c)3 organization that operates in the New Jersey metro area is eligible to apply for a grant. Interested applicants can learn more about the opportunity and apply by visiting LyftUp website here.

About Lyft

Lyft was founded in 2012 by Logan Green and John Zimmer to improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation, and is available to 95 percent of the United States population as well as select cities in Canada. Lyft is committed to effecting positive change for our cities and making cities more livable for everyone through initiatives that bridge transportation gaps, and by promoting transportation equity through shared rides, bikeshare systems, electric scooters, and public transit partnerships.