Jaden Smith, in partnership with the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation (WJSFF), is joining forces with LyftUp, Lyft’s purpose-driven program that gives underserved communities equal access to affordable, reliable transportation.
The rideshare company, along with Jaden Smith and WJSFF, will offer transportation access to their network of individuals in need through a $50,000 ride credit donation. This will help these nonprofit partners get the community to work, and also provide accessibility to healthy groceries and clean water.
Two of the notable non-profit partners that will help with distribution of funds are the I LOVE YOU Restaurant (Jaden’s org known for providing vegan meals to the unhoused) and 501cTHREE (Jaden’s org providing clean water to folks in Flint, MI).
“Proud to be partnering with Lyft on their LyftUp initiative. Together, we’ll be providing rides to communities who need them most,” said Jaden Smith. “In Flint, these rides will be used so community members can access clean, fresh water through our 501CTHREE.org partners.
In Los Angeles, we’ll focus on providing rides to grocery stores, clean water and jobs for the residents of Skid Row through our I LOVE YOU community partners. We believe in the power of transportation, and that access to a ride can mean access to an opportunity.”
“We at Lyft greatly admire the work Jaden has been doing to better the lives of individuals facing adversities,” said Hannah Broadhurst, Culture & Entertainment Manager. “In partnership with WJSFF, we’re excited to impact these communities through access to rides.”
This important initiative with Jaden and WSFF follows the success of last month’s mission-driven LyftUp alliance with Michael B. Jordan and Outlier Fellowship Foundation that gave young people of color and recent college graduates in underserved communities access to free rides to employment-related destinations like job interviews, mentorship events, internships and career counseling.
LyftUp launched in January 2020 and is Lyft’s comprehensive effort to expand transportation access to those who need it most. In addition to getting people to the polls, LyftUp programs enable disconnected communities to gain access to healthy food, get to job interviews, connect with critical resources in the aftermath of natural disasters, and more. Recently, Lyft announced its efforts to offer free and discounted rides to the polls on Election Day.
They have been partnering with When We All Vote and Vote.org to provide its community with the tools it needs to register to vote and More Than A Vote to provide access to free rides to polling locations in Atlanta, Charlotte, Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee, Orlando and Philadelphia. Celebs like Cardi B, LeBron James, and DJ Khaled have all publicly supported Lyft’s national voting promotion.
