Lyft And Goodwill® Expand Jobs Access Program To Provide Transportation To Vulnerable Populations

ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As unemployment rates have rebounded at lower rates for communities of color in recent months, Lyft and Goodwill are working to directly address that issue. The expanded LyftUp Jobs Access Program will help ensure that transportation access is not a barrier to individuals of color and job seekers when it comes to landing or retaining a job.

The LyftUp Jobs Access Program currently helps individuals with low incomes access free modes of transportation to job interviews, job trainings, and the first few weeks of work in 15+ markets nationwide. To date, more than 60 percent of job seekers have reported that they would not be able to get to work without a Lyft ride. Nonetheless, since the launch of this program, longer-term commute solutions have still been one of the remaining needs identified for program participants. 

Lyft's announcement of its Lyft Pink annual plan — a membership program that offers added benefits for frequent riders — provides new opportunities to offer meaningful support to communities in need. For the first time, the Lyft Pink annual plan will offer new unlimited bikeshare and scooter benefits to members. With the new offering of unlimited bikes, the goal is to leverage Lyft Pink to unlock transportation access for even more people. Starting this fall, local, nonprofit Goodwill organizations – Goodwill of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago and Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey will help bring Lyft Pink to their communities in Chicago and New York City, offering the benefits of unlimited bikeshare and scooters as a primary way for these individuals to access a free commute option to their jobs for up to one year.

"Goodwill has a long history of offering job seekers support that sets them up for success, including preparing, interviewing, and getting to work," said Steven C. Preston, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "The partnership, through Lyft's Jobs Access Program and Lyft Pink, will provide many Goodwill participants with free and discounted additional modes of transportation for micromobility commute options — giving them paths to new beginnings. Our partners at Lyft are helping us ensure that those job seekers gain economic mobility and move forward in life."

The partnership is part of Goodwill's Rising Together^TM coalition, which aims to give one million people access to sustainable jobs by 2025. The coalition includes Goodwill's workforce development services combined with providing job seekers with holistic needs support — from providing essential transportation and broadband access to offering training opportunities and job search skills. With Lyft and Goodwill working together, the coalition will create real change for those who need it most. 

The Jobs Access Program is part of a broader, comprehensive effort to expand transportation access known as LyftUp. Through LyftUp, Lyft partners with leading nonprofits to help provide access to free and discounted rides to individuals and families who lack affordable, reliable transportation.

ABOUT LYFT
Lyft was founded in 2012 and is one of the largest transportation networks in the United States and Canada. As the world shifts away from car ownership to transportation-as-a-service, Lyft is at the forefront of this massive societal change. Our transportation network brings together rideshare, bikes, scooters, car rentals and transit all in one app.  We are singularly driven by our mission: to improve people's lives with the world's best transportation.

ABOUT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 156 community-based, autonomous organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in 12 other countries. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps people find employment, Goodwill is recognized with GuideStar's highest rating, the Platinum Seal of Approval. Local Goodwill organizations offer employment opportunities, job placement and training services, and other community-based programs, funded by selling donated clothing and household items in nearly 3,300 stores and at shopgoodwill.com®. Last year, more than 20 million people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill services, and more than one million people received in-person services.

For more information or to find a Goodwill location near you, visit goodwill.org. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube: GoodwillIntl. Register for our Legislative Action Center via advocate.goodwill.org.

SOURCE Goodwill Industries International

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