As temperatures in the teens and wind chills below zero pummel the region, a Bucks County Uber driver is going the extra mile to help keep the homeless safe. In the middle of the freezing cold, Melinda Bowyer, the “Uber Queen" of Doylestown, is turning off her app and driving homeless people to warm shelters for free.
“It’s very cold,” Bowyer said. “We’ve only been out here for a few minutes. So you can imagine what it’s like for someone who has no roof over their head.”
Bowyer told NBC10 it all started when she gave away her Uber tips to the homeless or people asking for money. Then she realized she could do more and used a car to help.
“It’s a great outlet to be out here and help the community in any way I can,” she said.
Since last year, Bowyer has helped countless people and even formed friendships. She shared photos of one of the people she helped, a man named Eugene who she met outside a Walmart.
“I came by every single day to check on him,” she said.
Bowyer drove him to get a haircut and was able to get him a spot at a nursing home.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
“It’s the best feeling in the whole, entire world,” she said.
Between January, 2015 and January, 2016, homelessness in Bucks County rose from 487 to 530.
“I feel like I have extra compassion,” Bowyer said. “You wouldn’t believe the amount of homeless people there are.”
