By Xavier Guillaume:
Local carsharing organization Buffalo CarShare has received small monetary donations; however, area couple Athalie Joy and Peter Gold have just handed over their car keys, making this Buffalo CarShare’s first time ever vehicle donation. Buffalo CarShare offers community vehicles that are parked throughout Buffalo that folks can rent and use by the hour. They just need to reserve the vehicle online or over the phone, walk to the vehicle, unlock it with their key fob, and then when they’re done, bring it back to the same spot.
Before becoming carshare members, Ms. Joy and Mr. Gold contacted Buffalo CarShare hoping to donate their 2009 Toyota Corolla. Since moving into the Elmwood Village, they discovered how infrequently the two of them needed a car at the same time. When asked about giving up their car, Ms. Joy explained, “I moved my office closer to our apartment, so I walk almost every day to work. And with paying extra every month for a parking spot, and maintaining the vehicle, having to buy new tires, it just didn’t make any sense to keep the car.”
Ms. Joy and Mr. Gold tell how good it feels to be a part of the community, and that’s why they decided to donate the car to be used by the community as opposed to just selling it. “We make contributions to organizations of all sorts, and when we do we like to keep it local. Although this is probably our biggest donation,” said Mr. Gold with a chuckle. “And the reason we chose Buffalo CarShare is because it’s local, it’s diverse, and everyone can use a car.”
The car can now be used by Buffalo CarShare members and is located behind the Network of Religious Communities at 1272 Delaware Avenue.
Ms. Joy also introduced Buffalo CarShare to the non-profit organization Canopy of Neighbors, which was recently featured in an article on Buffalo Rising. Canopy of Neighbors helps seniors who no longer drive by coordinating volunteers who drive them on errands and to appointments. Thanks to Ms. Joy, Buffalo CarShare and Canopy of Neighbors have since developed a partnership, allowing volunteers to be able to use carsharing vehicles, particularly the newly donated car, which will be located down the street from Canopy of Neighbors. This means volunteer drivers do not have to pay for gas and wear and tear on their own vehicles while volunteering, or do not need to own a vehicle to volunteer their driving services.
Creighton Randall, the Executive Director of Buffalo CarShare, gave his enthusiasm about the donation, “This is a wonderful development for Buffalo CarShare – thanks to Athalie and Peter’s generous donation, we can offer our services to a whole new neighborhood. We are also very excited to partner with Canopy of Neighbors. We see our service as one more example of how Canopy empowers their members to remain in their home as they grow older – whether it’s through direct use of our service, or a ride offered by one of the many Canopy volunteers using Buffalo CarShare.”
Buffalo CarShare holds the unique status of having arguably the most diverse membership base of any carsharing organization in the nation (more on this can be found in Buffalo CarShare’s two year report). Folks from all walks of life and economic backgrounds use Buffalo CarShare, so the organization has members like Ms. Joy and Mr. Gold who can donate a car and members who give by volunteering. These members believe in Buffalo CarShare’s mission to be “a community-driven organization that advances affordable and community-driven transportation”.
If folks are interested, they can donate money, a vehicle, or their time by volunteering. Donations can help those seeking a tax deduction and help members and non-profits, like Canopy of Neighbors, gain affordable access to vehicles. One can reach Buffalo CarShare by phone at 716.898.0850 (M-F 9-5), or by stopping into their office located at 14 Allen Street.