Uber and Alliance for HOPE International Expand "Hope Rides" Program to Florida
PR Newswire
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., April 13, 2026
Program expansion helps survivors access reliable transportation to care and support services nationwide.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER) and Alliance for HOPE International today announced the expansion of their Hope Rides program to Florida at CASA Family Justice Center (FJC). Hope Rides is a national initiative providing Uber rides to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Building on its 2025 launch, the program will grow from 18 to 30 Family Justice Centers across the United States this year.
Since launching last July, the Hope Rides partnership with Uber has already facilitated more than 21,000 miles of travel.
Demonstrating Impact Nationwide
Since launching in 2025, Hope Rides has provided more than 2,000 rides to survivors across 12 states, helping individuals access the comprehensive, wraparound services offered at Family Justice Centers. Participating centers report that transportation support has reduced missed appointments, increased survivor engagement, and strengthened overall safety planning.
Survivors themselves describe the impact:
"Ridesharing services saved my life when no one else could come and get me."
"This is extremely important for survivors to know about. It gives us strength to know that we have a secure way to get the help we so need."
"Addressing gender-based violence is core to our approach to safety, and we are focused on building a platform where women feel in control," said Meghan Casserly, Director of Public Policy for Safety at Uber. "Our partnership with Alliance for HOPE has made clear that transportation can be a real barrier to care. For the clients of the Family Justice Center system, Hope Rides helps remove that barrier and connect survivors to support when they need it most."
Removing Roadblocks to Recovery
For many survivors, the path to safety can be blocked by a simple, yet devastating hurdle: the lack of a ride. FJCs are a recognized best-practice model for supporting survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other forms of abuse. By co-locating social services, legal aid, law enforcement, and additional support under one roof, these centers offer comprehensive, trauma-informed care that can be life-saving. Uber's Hope Rides partnership with Alliance for HOPE International aims to ensure that survivors can actually get through the doors of FJCs and begin receiving the support they need.
"At Family Justice Centers across the country, we see every day how access changes outcomes. When a survivor can safely reach services, everything shifts. Their options expand, their safety increases, and their healing can begin," said Catherine Johnson, President & CEO, Alliance for HOPE International. "The expansion of Hope Rides to Florida represents a powerful investment in survivor-centered solutions and strengthens our shared commitment to building communities of safety, hope, and healing."
"Transportation is one of the most significant barriers for survivors seeking safety and support. Through our partnership with Uber, we are removing that barrier and opening the door to life-saving services," said Casey Gwinn, Founder at Alliance for HOPE International. "Hope Rides is more than a ride; it is a critical connection to safety, healing, and hope. This expansion reflects what is possible when innovative partners come together to meet survivors where they are."
CASA, which serves as a model for comprehensive survivor support in Florida, has seen firsthand how the inability for survivors to get to a safe place or a support center can severely impact outcomes.
"Access to transportation can mean the difference between staying in danger and reaching safety. At CASA Family Justice Center, we see every day how critical that first step is," said Lariana Forsythe, Chief Executive Officer at CASA Pinellas and Marion Counties. "Through Hope Rides, survivors in our community will have a safer, more reliable way to access life-saving services, advocacy, and support at Florida's only Family Justice Center. CASA is committed to removing barriers for survivors, and this partnership ensures that no one is left without a path forward."
Safety Built into Every Journey
Uber is proud to serve as a trusted and reliable community resource that people can count on in moments of crisis. Uber's commitment to helping every rider feel safe is backed by industry-leading safety technology and policies designed to provide peace of mind. Uber has developed specific features to enhance control and security:
- Women Preferences: Women can request to be matched with women drivers, a feature recently expanded nationwide to give women more choice and comfort.
- RideCheck: Using GPS and sensors, Uber can detect if a trip goes unusually off-course or if a potential crash occurs, prompting a proactive check-in.
- Emergency Assistance: A built-in 911 button shares live location and trip details directly with emergency dispatchers.
- Privacy Protections: The app uses technology to keep phone numbers private and conceals specific pickup and drop-off addresses in a driver's trip history after the journey ends.
To learn more about our safety initiatives, visit uber.com/safety.
About Uber
Uber's mission is to create opportunity through movement. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 61 billion trips later, we're building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up new possibilities.
About Alliance for HOPE International
Alliance for Hope International's mission is creating communities of safety, hope, and healing. We focus on creating innovative, collaborative, trauma-informed, hope-centered approaches to supporting survivors and their children. Our mission is to create pathways to hope through collaborative, integrated multi-disciplinary centers, teams, and initiatives in order to break the generational cycle of violence and abuse in families across the United States and around the world.
About CASA
Challenging the Societal Acceptance of all Forms of Domestic Violence, CASA Stands up to Silence through Advocacy, Prevention, Intervention, and Support Services.
Uber Press Contact: press@uber.com
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/uber-and-alliance-for-hope-international-expand-hope-rides-program-to-florida-302740182.html
SOURCE Uber

