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 History
Leadership
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Transportation costs are often a prohibitive barrier to self-sufficiency. Without money for bus or subway fare, homeless people find it difficult to find and keep jobs. In February 2004, David Mortlock came up with a creative solution to this problem. The idea is simple: collect and aggregate leftover Metro fare cards to subsidize Metro transportation for people in need. David’s decision to help homeless veterans was a logical one. David himself is a former Marine and veterans make up approximately 25% of the homeless population.
David pitched his idea to case managers at Ignatia House, a 50-bed transition shelter for homeless veterans in Washington, DC. They liked the idea and agreed to partner with David's new organization, originally called Hand-to-Hand. Over the next few months, David developed a rollout strategy and solicited seed funding from his parents. By July 2004, the first donation box was in place at The Gallery Apartments at Virginia Square in Arlington, Virginia. The following month, David partnered with Embassy Suites and Hyatt in Crystal City to test the idea in different locations. These three boxes collected more than expected, so David continued to add new hotels to the program. There are now collection boxes at 30 locations in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC.
Along the way, David recruited a few people to help develop the program. In 2005, Sonja Starr joined FareShare as a member of the Board of Directors and helped guide the organization during this early growth period. David and Sonja tested new collection locations, developed marketing materials, and decided to change the organization’s name from Hand-to-Hand to FareShare. Kirsten Wegner also agreed to join FareShare as member of the Board of Directors and supervised FareShare’s incorporation and filing for 501(c)3 non-profit status. Today, Kirsten and Sonja remain actively involved as Board Members.
In 2006, David recruited Elizabeth Boughrum and Jesse Sanders to help operate the program. Elizabeth joined in early 2006 as the Associate Director. In this role, Elizabeth has helped in every aspect of the program including establishing FareShare’s volunteer program. Late in 2006, Jesse accepted a position as Director and shares leadership responsibilities with David. These three individuals – David, Jesse, and Elizabeth – form FareShare’s core operating team. They have collected more than $50,000 in donated Metro fare cards since 2004 and continue to grow the program. In 2007, FareShare expanded its support to help veterans at All Faith Consortium and Southeast Vets.
Thanks for your interest in FareShare. We appreciate your support!
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