Rides for a Reason
“I just needed someone to see me for what I am, what I am doing, and to help me a little bit. The financial literacy training with Joy (at Mountain West Bank) was a pivotal point in this process. I feel more confident than ever that I’m on the right track and that the next chapter of my life will be the best ever... I didn't need a handout, I just needed a hand up. I can't thank you all enough."
-Chrystal
What is Rides for a Reason?
One challenge to rising out of poverty that we’ve heard over and over again is the need for transportation: you can’t get to work, medical appointments, and school without a reliable means of transportation to get there.
Rides for a Reason is a car exchange program originally founded in 2022 by Charity Reimagined in partnership with Kootenai Technical Education Campus (KTEC) to alleviate these transportation challenges for those in the low-income and ALICE (asset-limited, income-constrained, employed) population.
RIDES has been rapidly growing, and we now partner with several local auto shops and
Mountain West Bank to create a fully operational program that changes lives.
How Does It Work?
The Backstory:
The origin of RIDES is with the KTEC high schoolers. Automotive students at KTEC designed the original logo and named the program.
While we now have multiple sources for vehicles and several partner auto shops, these students still work on the RIDES cars that go through KTEC, and they use their skills to change lives. These students are given the gift of eyes that are opened to the hurting, but capable, world around them, and the creative ways we can love our neighbors.
Partners of Rides for a Reason
