Have questions about Ride To Work? Find answers about our ministry, becoming a rider, receiving transportation, volunteering, donating a vehicle, and supporting the program.
We've organized the most common questions into three sections so you can quickly find the information that matters to you.
Learn how the ministry operates, why we do things the way we do, and how we define success.
Ride To Work Ministry is not part of a church and we do not require riders to be religious.
A portion of our support comes from several local churches, and many of our riders are referred by local churches. We believe that work is part of God's loving plan for each of us and fundamental to the dignity in our lives and support for our families.
We pray for each of our riders and ask God to help them fulfill His purpose for their lives.
No. We use a professional driver service to get the benefit of the driver's vetting and insurance from their company.
This driver service is also willing to make trips at all hours since many entry-level jobs are second- or third-shift jobs.
We require riders to use the Seneca Transit System when possible. Unfortunately, it does not run at all the hours our riders need and doesn't go to many job locations in our area.
Riders must be committed to achieving self-sufficiency. Along with the application and interview process, we have found that the rider's willingness to pay a small amount for the ride ensures they have "skin in the game."
We are unable to provide rides in these areas due to the cost, scheduling difficulty, and our local driver service's ability to accommodate them.
Success is measured by lives changed—not simply rides provided. We track outcomes such as:
Our goal is to help people become permanently self-sufficient rather than permanently dependent on transportation assistance.
Everything you need to know about applying, receiving rides, and working toward transportation independence.
In order to minimize non-ride expenses, Ride To Work does not have an office or central phone. All applications must be done online at this website.
A Ride To Work volunteer will call you, typically within 24 hours, to discuss your situation and assess if we are able to provide rides.
Yes. We will need to know your work hours and location before we can determine if we can provide rides.
If you have been offered a job or expect to receive one soon, you may apply before your first day of work, but we will not be able to determine if we can carry you until we have your work hours and location.
Your Success Plan is your roadmap to transportation independence. Working with your coach, you'll establish goals for employment, budgeting, savings, and eventually finding your own dependable transportation.
Ride To Work is a temporary service and has limited ability to carry riders, so we want to carry riders who are most likely to be successful.
The Success Plan helps us know how long a rider will need our service and whether they are on track to find their own transportation.
Ride To Work charges $5 per ride.
The actual cost of providing transportation is typically $25–$50 per ride, with the difference paid through donations from churches, businesses, civic organizations, foundations, and individual supporters.
Riders must be committed to achieving self-sufficiency. Along with the application and interview process, we have found that the rider's willingness to pay a small amount ($5 per ride) helps them become financially independent.
Paying a portion of the transportation cost helps riders begin budgeting for future transportation expenses while still saving a significant amount of money.
Rides cost Ride To Work $25–$50 per ride depending on distance, so riders are saving a significant amount compared to paying for rides themselves.
Ride To Work provides the first week of rides free so the rider has time to receive their first paycheck or arrange finances. After the first week, rides are paid one week in advance.
Ride To Work is intended to be temporary. Every rider's situation is different, and there is no fixed time limit.
Continued participation depends on making reasonable progress toward the goals in your Success Plan.
No.
However, Ride To Work will help riders who are meeting their Success Plan, have saved money, and demonstrated positive commitment—such as showing up for rides on time, paying on time, and communicating well.
Ride To Work can help riders find a good-value used car or moped, can help with a low-interest loan, and can even help pay part of the cost of a vehicle. In such situations, Ride To Work may place a lien on the vehicle.
No. Ride To Work only provides rides to and from work.
No. Ride To Work only carries riders who already have a job.
Notify your coach immediately. Work schedules often change. Let your coach know as soon as possible, and we'll do our best to adjust your transportation based on driver availability.
If you lose your job, we'll discuss your situation and determine how Ride To Work can best assist you when you find new employment.
We accept Chime and Cash App.
Another option is to pay in person at any Dogwood Bank location in Seneca, Walhalla, or Westminster.
Ways individuals, churches, businesses, civic organizations, foundations, and volunteers can help.
Individuals, churches, businesses, civic organizations, and foundations can support Ride To Work through:
Yes, if they are in good running condition.
Please see the appropriate page on our website for a detailed explanation of the process. We provide donated vehicles (cars or mopeds) to deserving riders and put a temporary lien on the vehicle.
Most volunteers are coaches. As a coach, the volunteer usually has only one rider.
With one rider, your time commitment is usually 4–6 hours a month. This time includes periodic meetings with the rider as well as text communications to get and transmit weekly rider work schedules.
Volunteers also attend, in person or by Zoom, a monthly meeting (60–90 minutes) of all volunteers to discuss operations, rider progress, and other relevant matters.
Ride To Work pays a local commercial driver service to provide rides to and from work at a cost ranging from $20 to $50 per ride depending on the distance.
We charge riders $5 per ride regardless of the distance. Your donation would be used to subsidize the difference in cost.
Ride To Work typically provides about 2,500 to 3,000 rides per year, so we need to raise about $100,000 per year.
Virtually all of our funding (95%+) goes to pay for rides because there are no paid positions at Ride To Work. Our only non-ride expenses are for things like insurance, website maintenance, the PO Box, and similar basic expenses.
You can make a donation by mail to:
Ride To Work Ministry Nonprofit Inc.
P.O. Box 1345
Seneca, SC 29679
You can also donate online through this website.
Whether you need help getting to work, want to volunteer your time, or want to help provide transportation for someone else, there is a place for you at Ride To Work.