Compass Card donation program expands

Unwanted cards help vulnerable children and families live full lives

TRANSLINK announced on Thursday that it is expanding the reach of a program that taps into the generosity of its customers by turning unwanted Compass Cards into transit passes to help families and children in need.

Last year, Compass Card donation bins were set up at a handful of locations around the region. The program has now been expanded to include two key locations – at Burrard and YVR Airport stations – making it easier than ever to donate a Compass Card.

Compass donation bin locations include:

  • Compass Customer Service Centre (Stadium Station)
  • Broadway-City Hall Station
  • Vancouver City Centre Station
  • Waterfront Station
  • West Coast Express Office
  • YVR Airport Station
  • Burrard Station

These bins allow people to donate new, or semi-used, unregistered Compass Cards. The value remaining on the donated cards is converted into transit passes to help children, families and seniors at United Way-funded social service agencies.

Since the launch of the program last year, about $3,500 has been raised. The transit passes funded through these donations give families and children the ability to travel to jobs, medical appointments, and school.

TransLink has supported United Way for decades. Over the past 25 years, staff at TransLink and its subsidiaries have raised and donated almost $7.4 million to United Way of the Lower Mainland.

In 2017 alone, staff raised $295,895 to help people in the Lower Mainland through United Way. Employees from TransLink, B.C. Rapid Transit Company, Coast Mountain Bus Company, Transit Police, MoveUP (COPE local 378), CUPE 4500, CUPE 7000, Unifor 111, and Unifor 2200 all contributed their time and generously donated to support United Way’s programs and services.

Kevin Desmond, CEO, TransLink, said: “The work of United Way in our region is crucial in helping individuals and families in need, and we are proud to be long-standing supporter of its work. With the Compass Card donation bins, we’re tapping into the generosity of our customers to continue to build support for all the worthwhile programs United Way provides.”

Michael McKnight, President and CEO, United Way of the Lower Mainland, said: “TransLink and their unions have generously supported United Way programs for decades. Now Compass Card donations are helping vulnerable kids, families and seniors get where they need to go – whether to those very life-changing programs, or to work, school or appointments. It’s a creative, collaborative approach to connecting local people to the supports they need. Our thanks to TransLink and your customers!”

 

Compass Card donation program: https://www.uwlm.ca/translink/

United Way of the Lower Mainland: https://www.uwlm.ca