More than a Lift,
new gloucester rides 

The lack of transportation services can be a significant challenge here in Maine — for older adults, people with disabilities, and anyone without reliable access to a car.  Navigating daily activities without adequate transportation can have a compounding impact, from reducing opportunities for social connection to limiting access to medical care. 

A volunteer transportation program started in New Gloucester two years ago, now also offers rides to residents of Gray.

When a small cohort came together in 2022 to start the group Building Livability in New Gloucester (BLING), members studied what programs they could realistically offer to the community. Connie Justice focused on volunteer transportation programs. She talked to other towns about their experience and lessons learned, and developed materials based on guidance prepared by the Maine Center on Aging. She got acquainted with Assisted Rides, the scheduling software for volunteer ride programs that Lifelong Maine and the State have provided free of charge for three years. 

Connie said this tool is a "game changer" for small and large volunteer programs alike. A ride program's logistics, she said, involve not just dozens of pick-up sites and destinations, but also the availability of volunteers and what specific services are needed — such as assistance walking from door to door or lifting a wheelchair into a car. With the scheduling software, volunteers can see requested rides and match their capacity to the need.  

New Gloucester Rides started in August 2024, expanded to Gray in mid-2025, and currently has 15 volunteers who provide rides to medical and dental appointments as far as 30 miles away.  Demand has grown steadily, Connie Justics said. The program hopes to eventually extend service to grocery shopping, errands, and social events. 

The greatest limiting factor is the availability of drivers. New volunteers are always needed and always welcome. Drivers report that providing rides often leads to unexpected friendships — connections between neighbors who barely knew one another before.

Connie says, "People find that driving is not a burden, it's a gift… to the volunteer."