In honor of International Women’s Day, Lyft launched and initiative to support a local nonprofit to that supports homeless and low-income women.
The on-demand ride sharing service’s Round Up and Donate feature, will allow D.C. passengers a way to opt to have their fare rounded up to the nearest dollar and have the difference donated to the N Street Village, an organization that offers a broad array of services to assist underserved women in the District.
This will be the company’s first partnership with a local organization in D.C. as part of the Round Up and Donate program.
Officials at the N Street Village said they are happy to partner with Lyft and are grateful for the opportunity to gain support through the ridesharing company’s initiative.
“Over the past 45 years our mission has grown from a small grass-roots initiative to providing a full range of housing and supportive services throughout our five D.C. locations,” Village CEO Schroeder Stribling said in a statement.
The organization provides services to help homeless women make meaningful gains in their housing income, employment, mental health, physical health and addiction recovery. They said they provide services to more nearly 2,000 women experiencing homelessness and related challenges.
“Every contribution is meaningful and ‘lyfts’ up the courage and personal triumphs of our city’s most vulnerable women,” Stribling said in the statement.
Lyft launched in the D.C. area in 2013, and now the company said they are looking to contribute to the community.
They previously contributed to a Merry Mode to benefit Martha’s Table and launched the Community Grants Program.
“Our partnership with N Street Village is a continuation of our commitment to supporting nonprofits and small businesses in the D.C. area,” said Steve Taylor, general manager of Lyft in the D.C. area. “The amount donated by rounding up a Lyft ride fare to the nearest dollar is less than the cost of a cup of coffee. But together, these small contributions from rides taken across the Lyft community can make an enormous impact on the important work N Street Village is doing to support homeless and low-income women in Washington, D.C.”
Nationwide, Lyft has raised more than $4 million through Round-Up & Donate.
“N Street Village plays a pivotal role in supporting homeless and low-income women in Washington, D.C., said Valerie Jarrett, a supporter of N Street Village and member of Lyft’s board of directors. “Round Up and Donate has enabled communities around the country to make a difference with every ride.”
To opt in, passengers should select Round-Up & Donate within Settings in the Lyft app.