Via website
Brooklyn, NY – October 15, 2008 – On the heels of its
fourth anniversary, RightRides the free, safe, late-night
ride home program for women, transfolk and genderqueer
individuals, has announced it will expand its service area
to 5 new neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan on
Saturday, October 25th, 2008. New neighborhoods include
Lefferts Gardens, Borough Park, Flatbush, Sunnyside, greater
Astoria, and Harlem (to 165th street). RightRides will also
begin conducting pickups in midtown.
Women and transfolk calling within in the service area will
now be able to call RightRides on Saturday nights for a free
ride to their house. As Oraia Reid, RightRides co-founder
and Executive Director explained, “We started RightRides in
direct response to increases in assaults on women walking
home. Our motto is, ‘Because Getting Home Safely Shouldn’t
Be A Luxury’. Many people who work late-night shifts in
the restaurant, hotel and service industry don’t often have
the luxury of affording a safe ride home, and RightRides
works to address that.”
RightRides for Women’s Safety is a non-profit organization
focused on building safer communities by ending sexual
assault and gender-based violence. It was founded in 2004
by Oraia Reid and her partner Consuelo Ruybal, responding to
increased assaults on women in North Brooklyn neighborhoods.
Initially using their own car to operate RightRides, the
program now receives donated cars from Zipcar for volunteers
to drive. To date, RightRides has driven over 1,500
individuals home and the organization is making plans for
national expansion. RightRides is available Saturday nights
between 11:59 PM and 3:00 AM Sunday morning. To call for a
ride: 1-888-215-SAFE(7233). For a map of the 40
neighborhoods RightRides operates in, please visit:
RightRides is currently seeking volunteer Drivers and
Navigators to help facilitate a smooth expansion. To get
involved as a member of a RightRides driving team or to help
put up posters and flyers, please send an e-mail to Erin
Armstrong, RightRides Program Manager Volunteer@RightRides.org.
For more information, contact Oraia Reid, Executive Director
and co-founder, at (718) 522-0822 or Oraia@RightRides.org