From Meals to Presents and Letters, Waymo and Local Nonprofits Team Up to Check Off Community Wish Lists During the Holidays

Something as simple as clean clothes or a home-cooked meal can brighten a day, especially during the holidays. From helping deliver laundry to providing Thanksgiving meals, gifts and more, Waymo is partnering with local nonprofits to bring holiday cheer to communities across the country.

Autonomous driving technology company Waymo was founded with a mission to save lives, improve mobility and connect communities. For Waymo, building connections means supporting local nonprofits this holiday season through deliveries, donations, and sponsorships. 

This holiday season, Waymo and its partner nonprofits have provided meals for 3,500+ isolated seniors in San Francisco and distributed 1,400+ turkeys to families in need throughout LA, San Francisco, and Phoenix.

Waymo employees are out in force too, volunteering to serve Thanksgiving meals, wrap presents and write letters to seniors, and more.

In Phoenix, where Waymo One is fully operational and residents can hail rides anywhere in Downtown Phoenix and the East Valley, Waymo is partnering with several nonprofits. 

One of those is Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, a Phoenix nonprofit connecting women 18 and up with support, services, classes and workshops designed to boost women’s confidence, autonomy, and self-sufficiency.

“Waymo's support will help sustain our work equipping and empowering women with workforce training and career opportunities,” said Susan Brow, Development Manager at Fresh Start.

In San Francisco, where Waymo is gearing up for the launch of its Waymo One ride-hailing service, Waymo’s holiday contributions build on a record of partnering with nonprofits to understand how autonomous driving technology could help communities ranging from senior citizens to people who are blind and people with disabilities. 

With Waymo’s support, the nonprofit Self Help for the Elderly aims to distribute up to 3,500 Thanksgiving meals to local seniors.

“We are very grateful for Waymo's holiday contributions and for partnering with us again in making the annual Thanksgiving Luncheon possible,” said Jessica Cen, Director of Fund Development at Self-Help for the Elderly. “It could be a record-breaking year!”

A donation made by Waymo to LightHouse for the Blind of San Francisco, one of Waymo’s longtime community partners, will help support the nonprofit’s programming for children up to age three who are blind, have low vision or have cortical-visual impairments. 

“We are so grateful for Waymo’s continued support, collaboration and partnership,” said Lee Kumutat, Vice President of Communications at LightHouse for the Blind.

At Openhouse SF, a San Francisco nonprofit serving LGBTQ+ seniors, Waymo’s contributions are supporting the organization's first “Fall Feast” holiday meal in three years. 

In Los Angeles, where Waymo will soon bring its autonomous ride-hailing service, Waymo has long been partnering with nonprofits and organizations to assist with meal deliveries, support road safety, and build community connections. 

During the pandemic, Waymo teamed up with Karsh Social Services Center to explore how autonomous driving technology could support the Center’s many affiliated nonprofits in their missions to provide food to people facing food insecurity.

This Thanksgiving, Waymo is supporting the Karsh Social Services Center’s annual “Big Give” Thanksgiving meal distribution to LA families.

“Our annual Big Give event is a cornerstone of our holiday programming,” said Lila Guirguis, Executive Director at Karsh Social Services Center. “We're thankful for Waymo's support to keep this valued tradition going.”

Waymo is supporting other LA nonprofits working to build a vibrant and inclusive city, from making streets safer for cyclists and supporting veterans to advocating for the LGBTQ+ community.

One of those groups is the Hollywood Food Coalition, an organization dedicated to providing food, community and support to the many Angelenos in need.

"Waymo's donation is instrumental in allowing us to continue our daily operations at a time when the effects of inflation and the pandemic are still affecting our neighbors, and we are so grateful and excited to continue our partnership with them," said Arnali Ray, the Executive Director at Hollywood Food Coalition.

In Ann Arbor and Austin respectively, Waymo is sending holiday donations to nonprofits like Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living, which empowers people with disabilities, and Our Shared Kitchen, which provides fresh hot meals to people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity.

Ariane Vinograd, President of Our Shared Kitchen, said of Waymo’s holiday support: “It will truly go a long way in helping us feed more people.”