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Rides 4 Refugees 4th Annual Golf Outing
Join us for a day of fun at our Annual Golf Outing!
We’re excited to invite you to join us for a day of golf, community, and meaningful impact at our upcoming our Golf Outing! This isn’t just a round of golf — it’s an opportunity to help refugee families build independence, stability, and a brighter future.
Your support as a player, donor, sponsor helps:
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A parent get to work and provide for their family
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A child get to medical care safely
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A family save hundreds of hours each year in commuting time
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Turn transportation into opportunity and independence
Join us for:
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A fun and friendly day on the course
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Exciting prizes and raffles
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The chance to make a tangible difference in a family’s future
Whether you register a team, become a sponsor, or simply spread the word, you are helping drive change — literally.
Upcoming Events
What's New
Yousofi family has a new Odyssey
Rides4Refugees recently had the privilege of meeting the Yousofi family to award them match grant funds, enabling the family to purchase a well-maintained 2011 Honda Odyssey. Alongside the ~$4,000 match grant, the family also received a one-year, $1,000 repair assistance warranty and a AAA membership.
Donation makes a difference
Rides4Refugees has had the privilege of facilitating an incredible act of generosity: the donation of a Honda Civic to the Khalil family, recent refugees from Sudan. This became possible when Carrie, a dedicated volunteer for CRIS (Community Refugee & Immigration Services), and her husband Tim, who works for Honda, generously decided to donate their unused vehicle.
Dutcher joins R4R board
We are thrilled to announce that Brent Dutcher has joined the Rides 4 Refugees team as a Board Director, where he will oversee Governance and Compliance. Brent brings with him a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to supporting refugees.
Alexis gets license and car
We are thrilled to announce another success story at Rides 4 Refugees. Recently, Alexis, after a long and determined journey, received vehicle purchase assistance through our program. After earning his driver’s license this past June, Alexis was able to purchase a 2012 Honda Odyssey minivan with the help of an R4R match grant, along with added benefits like roadside assistance and a 1-year warranty. The vehicle, in excellent condition, was acquired at an incredible value — thanks to the generosity of a local resident from Woodstock, Ohio, who helped make this possible.
Thelen takes over R4R
Kevin Thelen became the new president of Rides 4 Refugees. He thanked former president Erik Berkman for his vision, fortitude and compassion in developing R4R. Thelen said his dream is to make the organization solid and sustainable.
Changing of the Guard
On September 1, Rides 4 Refugees founder and President Erik Berkman officially handed over the leadership of R4R to co-founder Kevin Thelen, who will now step into the role of President.
A Journey Complete
Soheila Noori, a refugee from Afghanistan, prepares to give back to the community that supported her by stepping into a part-time role as managing director of R4R.
Racing Experience
Our Rides 4 Refugees VIPs had an amazing time, and thanks to their generosity R4R can help two central Ohio families secure quality used cars and match up to $4,000 for those new vehicles!
Mid-Ohio VIP Racing Experience
The 2nd Annual Rides 4 Refugees VIP Racing Experience was held at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 5~7. Rahal Letterman Lanigan and Meyer Shank Racing hosted our 18 generous donor guests that were able to meet the owners and drivers and get up close on a tour of their garages. IndyCar and Honda Racing (HRC) were very generous to provide a tour of their operations centers on race day. Two (2) lucky winners got hot laps of the race course in the Civic Type-R pace car prior to the race start on Sunday morning. A big thanks to the course owner, race teams, IndyCar, and HRC for their hospitality in making this a special day.
2024 R4R Golf Outing
The second annual Rides 4 Refugees golf outing was a tremendous success, thanks to the 18 teams and numerous donors who supported the cause. The team of Rick Hatcher, Pat Ellis, Denny Lane, and Don Hensley took home top honors with an impressive 12 under par 60. Close behind, the team of Mike Wiseman, Rick Schostek, Bill Easdale, and Jamie Willett finished second with an 11-under 61. Special recognition goes to the man known simply as Budha for winning the longest drive, and to Hensley for securing the closest to the pin award!
Helping the Alrammahi Family
Rides 4 Refugees is delighted to share the story of the Alrammahi family, whom we've recently assisted with their transportation needs. Murtadha and Mustafa, the sons, have secured jobs stocking shelves at a local warehouse store. Their shifts require them to get up early and walk four miles to work, as no busses run during the hours they need to commute. What is a 60-minute walk for them, in all weather conditions becomes an easy 10-minute car ride!
Donation Changes Akbari's Life
The generous donation from the Balderson family: a 2008 Mazda 3 in excellent condition allowed Rides 4 Refugees to provide this vehicle to Ghulam Akbari and his family. Ghulam has been working at Goodwill Industries while awaiting his Work Authorization. Despite the challenges, he obtained his driver's license on his own. Now, with the help of the donated car, he can take his daughter to her medical appointments without relying on taxis or Ubers.
Harry Gandre Remembered
Rides 4 Refugees is saddened by the sudden passing of our friend and colleague Harry Gandre last weekend following an accident. Harry was an invaluable member of our team. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Rides 4 Refugees team go out to his wife Evelyn and his family.
MSR Hosts Fundraiser
The atmosphere at Mike Shank's Meyer Shank Racing shop was electric as guests gathered for a tour and catered dinner. It was a truly remarkable event, made even more special by the generosity of our fundraiser attendees, whose contributions will help provide transportation support to four deserving families. The evening culminated in a successful auction featuring items generously donated by MSR and the Transportation Research Center, further bolstering our efforts to support refugees in central Ohio.
All Smiles
Rides 4 Refugees is delighted to have facilitated the purchase of vehicles for Ramish and Fawad, former interpreters for American troops in Afghanistan. R4R assisted Fawad and his family in acquiring a dependable Ford Edge. R4R is equally thrilled to have supported Ramish and his family in their journey to rebuild their lives in America with a new car. "I truly appreciate everything you have done for us. My family and I will never forget this," said Fawad.
Exciting Year Ahead
Following a successful first year, Rides 4 Refugees has its sites set on growing its support for Central Ohio refugees in 2024.
This year, we are planning to support 15 refugees with the purchase of good, used vehicles. That's a 50-percent increase over 2023. Additionally, we will be recruiting volunteers and interns, searching for donated vehicles, and applying for grants. We are also making plans to hire a future Executive Director later in the year as we transition away from an all-volunteer organization.
This year, we are planning to support 15 refugees with the purchase of good, used vehicles. That's a 50-percent increase over 2023. Additionally, we will be recruiting volunteers and interns, searching for donated vehicles, and applying for grants. We are also making plans to hire a future Executive Director later in the year as we transition away from an all-volunteer organization.
New Car Brings Joy
Rides 4 Refugees was able to make Muhannad Salama's holiday season a time of happiness when it helped him with a purchase of a GMC Terrain from Honda Marysville. Here is a short message from Muhannad after taking his vehicle home for the first time.
"I don't know what I would tell you if you saw my family's joy in this car. It is equivalent to the world and everything in it. They were very happy, and they all thank you for what you are doing with us. I hope that one day I will return this favor to you."
"I don't know what I would tell you if you saw my family's joy in this car. It is equivalent to the world and everything in it. They were very happy, and they all thank you for what you are doing with us. I hope that one day I will return this favor to you."
MITR Supports R4R
Rides 4 Refugees is delighted to express our heartfelt gratitude for being selected as a beneficiary of the Short North Rotary's annual fundraising Music in the Round event on March 2nd. This sold-out affair showcased the talents of four local musicians who generously shared their music while also shedding light on the five chosen nonprofits, including R4R. We are humbled and immensely grateful to announce that R4R received a donation of $2,979 from this event.
New Board Members
Founding Director Marc Dinopoulos retired from the Board of Directors at the Annual Board Meeting on January 24. New Directors installed at the meeting include Katie Arbeiter, Michael Cao, and R4R member Ted Klaus. Officers include Erik Berkman (President), Kristen Everman (Treasurer), and Jim Fusco (Secretary).
Ali Safari Gets His Car
Ali Safari is an Afghan refugee, and an electrical engineer, who arrived in the U.S. in March 2023. Based on his support for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he was threatened and then targeted by a bomb when in Afghanistan. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured. R4R provided Ali with matching funds and vehicle search support. Also, a limited 1-year warranty covering mechanical/electrical problems as well as roadside assistance. He recently got his Ohio Driver's License and is excited to have his own personal vehicle to be able to get his job, and his English as a Second Language (ESL) class without relying on others.
American Ally Fund Donation
Sayre Payne and Matt Dresbach had the honor of working with Afghanistan interpreters during a time of war. Because of this close bond, Dresbach of Chillicothe and Payne of Cincinnati developed the American Ally Rescue and Relief Fund to help interpreters gain a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) in return for their support of the U.S. and its military operations in Afghanistan. The two gentlemen recently presented R4R with more than $20,000 in an effort to help provide more reliable transportation to the central Ohio refugee population.
New Car = Big Savings
Rides 4 Refugees is proud to support Abdul with his first car purchase in the U.S. Abdul is a recent refugee who had been using Uber and Lyft for transportation and his weekly transportation costs averaged $400. This made the need for a new transportation solution even more important. Using our developed process, R4R's Harry Gandre assisted Abdul through the search and purchase process. As a result, Abdul, our 16th client, was able to locate a used Honda Accord at Roush Honda in Westerville.
First Vehicle Donation
Rides 4 Refugees is very grateful to receive its first vehicle donation to be used to help refugees. We were fortunate to receive a 2010 Toyota Prius in great condition, which will be used in our driver training program. A big thank you to Clay and Gaby Steele for their kind donation.
Remember, Rides 4 Refugees will make every effort to utilize donated vehicles directly in our Central Ohio programs.
Remember, Rides 4 Refugees will make every effort to utilize donated vehicles directly in our Central Ohio programs.
Reliable Car Heads to College
Shokria Muhandis got her drivers license with help from her friends at Indian Run UMC. Community Refugee and Immigration Services referred her to Rides 4 Refugees for our vehicle match grant program. She saved money and Honda Marysville found her a solid 2016 Buick Verano in her price range. Shokria will go back to college this fall and drive her new car to Minnesota to pursue a career in computer science.
Hard Work Pays Off
Abdul Tokhi worked hard to save for his car. After getting his drivers license, we worked with him to determine his needs for a vehicle. We want to thank Honda Marysville for finding the right car for Abdul and a lender that would make a loan and allow him to get a better car. Abdul will make reasonable payments and establish a credit history.
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