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Newsletter Archive
September 2025
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August 2025
Newsletter
Published: August 2025
This recognition affirms the essential role we play in keeping neighbors connected.
If you see our community van driving around town, know that weโre helping your loved ones get to you and to the places that bring them joy.
Signage courtesy of local graphic designer Arianna Slade-Duncan and print shop Henco North.
Milestones
๐ Rides to a Destination: 1,002
๐ฅ People Helped: 123
Impact Stories
A Trip to the WNC Nature Center
Join Marnette on a ride-along as she enjoys a day out in nature.
Watch the video above to join Marnette on a ride-along.
โ Henry, on going to eat with friends
โ Laurie, on a trip out shopping
โ Pamela, on attending a writing club at the Harvest House Community Center
Next Steps
When someone tells us, โIโd like to volunteer as a driver,โ we hear, โI want to care for the people in my community.โ
Weโre launching a pilot program for Community Caretakersโvolunteers who support transportation in their own neighborhoods across Buncombe County.
While the program takes shape, weโre looking for neighbors willing to help in other ways:
Mechanics
If youโre a trusted mechanic in Buncombe County, weโd love to connect. When our van is out of service, we need a local partner to get it back on the road.
Dispatchers
Volunteers to answer calls and schedule rides. You keep things running and help people get where they need to go.
Mobile Companions
Join a senior on their outingโwhether itโs helping with groceries, sharing a meal, or simply being present with them. As a Mobile Companion, you bring friendship and connection to our riders.
If any of these roles interest you, please email us at:
volunteer@ridebettertogether.org
Your time and care can change a neighborโs life.
A Personal Note from the Executive Director
People often ask me, โWhy do you do this work?โ The answer comes from a place of deep emotion. I hope you’ll take a moment to listen. – Gino
Help Us Reach More People
Every ride is made possible by community members like you. Your gift helps seniors and people with disabilities stay connected to what matters most.
April 2025
Newsletter
20 April 2025
Better Together Transportation began service on February 11, 2025. Since then we have given 230 rides (115 round-trips) to over 57 people in Buncombe and Madison counties.
Milestones
Partnerships
We partnered with MountainCare and give ridesย to seniors, Monday through Friday, to attend their Adult Day Services. This program helps seniors maintain their cognitive ability as they progress through the stages of dementia.
We will soon begin working with ABCCM’s Transformation Village to give rides to the women and children in their program. We will offer them access to their community to help them continue on their journey toward permanent housing.
Impact Stories
- David and Naomi, husband and wife. On Sundays we transport David from a nursing home in Asheville to visit his wife at their house in Burnsville.
- Victoria, 99-years-old, who lives in Asheville and was brought to be in attendance at her son Jody’s funeral.
- Pamela who was able to attend a Tea Party organized by the Harvest House Community Center. First time she has socialized in months, “It feels good to not be isolated.”
- Ellen Scott who is taken to church on Sundays and is now able to be a part of her congregation at the Church at Asheville on Chunn’s Cove Road.
- Anita who was taken to the DMV to obtain a license plate for her car. She is now able to drive and has gained mobile independence.
- Ruth and Frank, elders who live at a retirement housing authority, were able to use their pass to the Arboretum to see the gardens for a day.ย
- Tom, a senior who saw our ad in the Mountain Xpress, was brought to the Haywood Street Congregation to get a free haircut. He has also been brought to Ingles to buy groceries.

