We’re thrilled to welcome Carrie Dell, the newest member of our program team, as Client Relationship Manager. She will specialize in assisting clients and their families and working with the Ride Coordinators in our call center, and she will be in the office Monday-Thursday.

Carrie joins Neighbor Ride with a background in both nonprofit and private sector work. She spent most of her career at Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland’s Wilde Lake office, though she has worked across Howard County and neighboring counties for almost 20 years. Her nonprofit experience includes time at Manna Food Center, Small Miracles Cat and Dog Rescue, CARE Healing Center, and The National Aquarium in Baltimore. She is thrilled to work with an agency that values its constituents holistically and with dignity.

In addition to the overall satisfaction scores we reported last month, volunteers also expressed strong satisfaction with the tools and communications that support their service. 

More than 96% of respondents rated The Driver, Neighbor Ride’s volunteer e-newsletter, as either Excellent or Good. Similarly, more than 93% rated the organization’s RideMatch scheduling system as Excellent or Good, reflecting volunteers’ confidence in the systems that help them coordinate rides and support riders efficiently.  

We were impressed to hear that 55% of respondents would definitely be interested in using the new volunteer mobile app under development, 25% said they might try it, and 11% said they don’t know enough about it yet. We’re really overwhelmed by your interest.

Thank you to the 45 survey respondents who said they’re interested in helping test our new app features! We are reaching out to a small group of volunteers for an initial cohort and will continue to involve additional volunteers in future testing phases.

The willingness of so many volunteers to help shape future improvements reflects a community that is engaged, invested, and eager to support Neighbor Ride’s continued growth.

We recently sat down with Andrew to discuss how Neighbor Ride approaches volunteer feedback. 

His sweet dog, Harley, was here for a Friday visit, and she helped out with the interview.

Q: What happens when volunteers share suggestions or concerns?

A: Volunteers are the people using our systems every day, so they often spot opportunities for improvement that we may not see. Their perspective is incredibly valuable.

Q: Do suggestions really lead to changes?

A: Absolutely. We can’t implement every idea immediately, but feedback helps us prioritize improvements and identify trends. When multiple volunteers highlight the same issue or opportunity, that helps guide our decisions and future planning.

Q: What would you say to volunteers who take the time to provide feedback?

A: Thank you. Honest feedback helps us become a stronger organization and creates a better experience for everyone involved. We appreciate volunteers who take the time to tell us what is working and what could work even better.

We got a photo of volunteer driver Karen Mellander when she came by the office. She’s been a driver since 2022!

Thank you, Kim, for all you do.

10/20: Walk the Lake with Neighbor Ride for Walktober!

Lace up your walking shoes and join Neighbor Ride for a fun and scenic Walktober Walk Around Lake Kittamaqundi on October 20. Meet at the fountain at 10:30 am. Enjoy the beauty of fall, connect with friends and neighbors, and support Neighbor Ride’s mission of helping older adults stay connected to the community they love. You can check our more Howard County Walktober events here.

Bring your friends, family, and neighbors! RSVP to volunteer@neighborride.org or just meet us there.

Solomon: Green Aventurine

Brahms: Schicksalslied, Op. 54 (Song of Destiny)

Walker: The Great Lakes (Lyric)

Beethoven: Symphony No. 5

Columbia Orchestra launches its 50th season with a program built on destiny. A newly commissioned work by Howard County composer Evan Ross Solomon opens the evening with a festive, celebratory premiere written for this milestone. Brahms’s Schicksalslied (“Song of Destiny”) and Gwyneth Walker’s Lyric, both featuring Columbia Pro Cantare, follow with rich choral color. The program culminates in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, whose famous “fate knocking at the door” has echoed through concert halls for over two centuries.

Have you picked up your free 2027 Neighbor Ride calendar yet? If not, now’s the time! Our calendars are still available and are a great way to keep your ride schedule organized.

Stop by the Neighbor Ride office and pick one up. Calendars are free, but supplies are limited, so don’t wait! We look forward to seeing you at the office soon.

On the 17th of each month, we ask all volunteers to display their Neighbor Ride magnet on their car throughout the day. Thank you!

Check out our latest stats from June. 

• Ride requests received: 1004
• Rides cancelled for no driver: 46
• Unfilled Ride Request Rate: 4.58%
• Ride requests completed: 824
• Clients served: 258
• Different volunteers providing a ride:  190

We appreciate our volunteers for helping us be out there on the roads each and every day for our clients!

What Is Legacy Giving?

Legacy giving is a way to support the causes you care about through your estate plans. By including Neighbor Ride in your will, trust, retirement account, or other planned gift, you can help ensure that Howard County seniors continue to have access to caring, volunteer-powered transportation for years to come.

Interested in learning more? Contact Andrea or Bruce for a confidential conversation about planned giving options.

Support Neighbor Ride through a car donation! It’s easy, and we accept all vehicles of any age or condition. Anyone can donate, no matter what state you live in!