||| FROM SANDY PLAYA for ISLAND RIDES ORCAS |||
IslandRidesOrcas gives rides and delivers essential goods to islanders who don’t drive or have access to transportation. We schedule rides and deliveries for essential needs 7 days a week 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Rides are free, donations are accepted, but not expected. This service is funded by the WA State DOT, the Orcas Island Community Foundation, and private donations.
If you would like to volunteer to drive one of our electric vehicles once a week or once a month for all or part of a shift – or if you need a ride – give us a call!
Volunteering for Island Rides was one of the best decisions I’ve made this year. Meeting a broad range of customers and working with a great team has been a joy. And coordinator Sandy makes it clear that volunteers can take time off without guilt!
Island Rides is a great place to volunteer time driving island neighbors needing transportation. The red and blue electric cars are becoming a familiar sight on the island roads providing a great service to anyone who calls!
I love driving for the IslandRides group. Great people to work with and it is a joy to help other islanders in need. It is part of this great community to give back! And the electric cars are a blast to drive and comfortable for the passengers.
“Find a need and fill it” Island Rides is doing just that. It is a great free service to those truly in need of transportation, some individual deliveries, the food bank and many other things, even a ride to the ferry. The main thing that will keep it viable and functioning is Volunteer Drivers that generously donate their time from being on call, or a few hours or for the day. What worked best for my schedule was to just volunteer to drive on Wednesday’s. Normal hours are 10:00 – 3:00 but some folks are willing to drive a little earlier or a little later dependent on their availability. Every ride or delivery is a little different and you will probably get to go and see places on Orcas Island, you have never been to before. Sandy Playa is the Volunteer Coordinator for us on Orcas and she goes out of her way to make Island Rides successful for the residents and the Volunteer Drivers alike. Be a Volunteer Driver, donate a little of your time. You’ll be glad you did. Pay it forward. You might be the one needing a ride someday.
Driving for Island Rides is a weekly highlight for me.
The people: riders, drivers, community partners (the Food Bank, OICF, OICRC) are a great bunch and it’s a wonderful way to connect and see pockets of the island I wouldn’t otherwise.
It’s a rewarding way to venture beyond my habitual orbit, connect with and give back to this precious community.
Join us, won’t you?