McDonough, GA - Have you ever been stranded because your car broke down and you could not find anyone to help? Have you had to miss an event, a trip to the store, work, etc. because your car broke down and left you feeling sorry for yourself with no one to help? That is certainly painful.

Three weeks ago a friend of mine had that experience. Mary got dressed for work one morning and when she got into her car, the baby refused to start. Mary was livid. What could she do? She did not know too many people and those she knew did not take the bus to the city. Mary and I use GRTA's Xpress Bus Service to travel from McDonough to work in Atlanta, GA. This system works very well for us and many others. We actually save a bundle by traveling by bus and we do enjoy the ride. Back to Mary. She tried desperately to find someone near her, heading towards the Park & Ride, to give a ride. Unfortunately, there was no such person. Mary stayed home for 2 days. Luckily for her, she could work from home.

I wished that I could help Mary, but I live on the other side of town which makes it quite difficult to get to Mary and back to the bus in the wee hours of the morning. Thankfully, Mary is driving again!

One week later, another friend of mine had a similar car dilemma. Sheila's story is somewhat different. Sheila gave her car to a family member who needed the vehicle and then was stuck trying to find a way to get around. Yes, she is currently attempting to buy a used car, but that takes time. Sheila tried the Henry County Transit System, but they could not provide a ride - although paid for - at 7 a.m. to get Sheila to the Park & Ride on time. She hoped to get a neighbor to help, but that did not happen either. Luckily for Sheila, she lives closer to me than Mary, so I have been able to pick her some mornings and drop her home some evenings.

As I analyzed Mary's and Sheila's situations, I realized that there is something I can do. What if I can start a carpool club that offers free rides to stranded people? What if I could enlist 10, 20, 50 or 200 motorists who will sign on to provide rides to people in need? What if we could offer a Helping Hand Car Pool service? Hence my decision to create a club.

I have decided to build a club with ordinary people, who are willing to help their neighbor out of a jam. I am currently working to create a system what works. There is a need to create a system that will help others, but will also protect our volunteers. I know the joy that helping others gives to an individual and so I am determined to get this show on the road and give people a chance to share. Can you imagine? Giving rides to others means meeting new people - great for you - and filling a void for many - great for others.

Hey you - yes, YOU - if you feel a call to be a volunteer driver with HelpingHandsCarPool or if you have ideas for building this club/service, email me at peter@letsserveyou.com, or call Peter @ 678-772-7077. My aim is to get this going first in McDonough, GA, my home city, expand to my county, Henry County, and then expand to Georgia and beyond. I believe this is a great idea. Let me know what you think. Even better, tell me that you are ready to help.

In the meantime, check out this site to see what we are doing: http://sites.google.com/site/helpinghandscarpool/. Also, do us a favor and share it with people in your area. Thank you.