A local car service and the American Cancer Society teamed up to provide cancer patients with free transportation to the hospital and home again. On Tuesday the 1,000th ride was given.
PhillyCarShare began its donation of vehicles to the cause Jan. 1, 2011, calling the program PhillyPatientRide.
With 100-plus volunteers working for the PhillyPatientRide program, about 50 Philadelphia area cancer patients have benefited from the partnership so far with more people utilizing the program every day.
The American Cancer Society helps to fund the program, and PhillyCarShare coordinates the program’s daily operations between the participating Hahnemann, Jefferson, Temple, University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Hospitals.
The two groups came together after a local call-out for ways to get patients to the treatments they need when public transportation and friends and family are not always available.
Anyone interested in volunteering for the program can e-mail info@phillypatientride.org. Patients interested in learning more about the program and other resources being offered can call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
