Being homeless means you have no place to go, and it often means you have no way to go. Public transportation can be a luxury for the impoverished with few resources at their disposal, especially as fares increase.
However, the organization Fare-Share has helped homeless veterans get around the D.C. Metropolitan region since 2005. Through collecting donated Metro fare cards, FareShare makes it easier for homeless veterans to get back on their feet by providing opportunities to get to interviews, jobs or doctor’s appointments.
FareShare was started by David Mortlock, a veteran of the Marines, when he learned about the high percentage of veterans among the homeless population. He realized how he could help these veterans when he saw how many leftover fare cards he had lying around at home.
“He didn’t see transportation as the most pressing issue, but what he figured out he could give [homeless veterans] was transportation assistance,” said Jesse Sanders, who now runs the volunteer organization.
FareShare has 17 boxes placed at different locations around D.C. where anyone can drop off leftover or unused fare cards. Most of these locations are in hotels, where visitors can drop off their no-longer-needed cards before taking off for the airport. FareShare volunteers then pick up those paper cards and convert them into SmartTrip cards worth $100.
FareShare works with four different organizations to disperse the SmartTrip cards to veterans. Since 2005, they have collected and given more than $142,000 in fare cards.
To donate leftover paper fare cards, go to faresharedc.org to find the different drop-off locations. Or, mail the cards to: 116 Quincy St, Chevy Chase, MD 20815.
