BRYAN, Texas — The United Way of the Brazos Valley received a $35,000 grant from Texas Mutual Insurance Company.
This is the organization's second time receiving the grant for their Ride2Health program.
Ride2Health gives patients rides to non-emergency doctor's appointments, pharmacies and mental health services.
The program encourages preventative healthcare, going to regular doctor's appointments before symptoms build up and force people to go to emergency rooms.
President and CEO of the organization Peggi Goss says she wasn't sure the organization would even get a grant this year.
"I was so pleased to see they believed in this program so much that they funded for a second year, so we’re very excited to have it, very grateful to have it," Goss said.
The program completed over 400 rides and served about 125 patients in a year and a half, according to Goss.
But she says the program is still in need of volunteers.
"Because it's a newer program, it requires a lot of focus to keep it running and requires a lot of staff time to make sure the connection with the drivers and the patients are all in good order," Goss said.
The rides operate Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but Goss says volunteer schedules are flexible and only takes a few hours during the week.
"A lot of times it's just a 15 minutes out of somebody's day just to pick somebody up and drop them off at a different location, and your day is done."
If you would like to volunteer in the program, you can sign up on the organization's website where you will have to submit a background screening, proof of a current driver's license and have full coverage insurance.