Paloma Valley Student Needs Ride From Ridgemoor Area

One of our urgent needs right now concerns a boy who attends Paloma Valley High School. He lives near Murrieta Road and Ridgemoor and needs a ride to and from school. His current transportation ends this week. Who in that area has an extra seat in their car? Please help.

Here's Where We Need the Most Help Right Now

Here are our immediate needs for drivers:

Paloma Valley High School: Student lives near Murrieta Road and Ridgemoor Road.

Paloma Valley High School: Student lives near Scott Road and Menifee Road. (p.m. drop-off only)

Menifee Valley Middle School: Student lives near Bradley Road and La Piedra Road.

Heritage High School: One student lives near Menifee Road and Newport Road. Another student lives near Heritage Lake Drive and Rushing Water.

Callie Kirkpatrick Elementary: Student lives between Holland Road and Craig Ave. (p.m. drop-off only)

Chester Morrison Elementary: Student lives near Bradley Road and La Piedra Road. (p.m. drop-off only).

Mesa View Elementary: Student needs p.m. drop-off only.

Can you help provide transportation for one of these students? Let us know now. Thanks.

We Still Need Drivers, Especially in the Afternoon

School year has arrived! As we begin to plan rides for Menifee area students to and from school, we are still in need of volunteer drivers. We have a special need in the afternoon for students who need to be picked up from Menifee Valley Middle School, Chester Morrison, Southshore, Herk Bouris and Callie Kirkpatrick.

If anyone is free in the afternoons to transport children, please comment here or email menifeerides@gmail.com with your info. We need help ASAP!

If your child needs a ride to and/or from school, contact us and we will do our best to help you.

Organizational Meeting Tonight at Wheatfield Park

There will be a meeting at Wheatfield Park tonight, Aug. 13, at 7 p.m. for all those interested in participating in the Menifee Rides student transportation program.

This is a volunteer effort involving parents and other community members who are concerned about transportation to and from school for students who need a ride and don't have access to bus service. In our widespread community, some students face very long walks to school. Many have working parents who are unable to drive their own children to and from school every day.

By identifying students who need rides and residents who are able to provide transportation and/or participate in carpools, we hope to minimize the effects of the reduced bus routes this school year.

We have established a website, Facebook page and email address as resources for you to communicate with us:

menifeerides.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/MenifeeRides

menifeerides@gmail.com

Please spread the word about tonight's meeting to those who may not follow us on Menifee 24/7 or who may not have Internet access. Tell your friends and neighbors. We can't identify the needs or adequately provide assistance if we don't hear from you. If you plan to attend, please leave a comment on the website, on our Facebook page, or send us an email.

Yours truly, Doug Spoon, will be standing by the flagpole at the end of the driveway off Menifee Road in Wheatfield Park tonight at 7, wearing the cowboy hat you see here. You can't miss me. I promise the meeting will be as brief as possible. If your child needs a ride, if you can provide a ride -- if you simply care about the welfare of your students this school year --- please join us tonight

If You Are Interested in Menifee Rides, Join Us Monday

We've had a lot of "likes" but not many RSVPs to the organizational meeting for Menifee Rides this Monday, Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. at Wheatfield Park. We will meet outside, in front of the building with the flagpole at the end of the driveway off Menifee Road. Look for me, wearing the straw cowboy hat you see in my Menifee 24/7 column photo.

This will give us a chance to meet one another and set up as many ride arrangements as we can. Please email menifeerides@gmail.com or comment here to let me know you can attend. We need more volunteer drivers, so if you know someone who can help, please have them contact me and invite them to the meeting. Hope to see you Monday!

Organizational Meeting Set for Monday, Aug. 13, 7 p.m.

We will have a brief meeting of all interested parties this coming Monday, Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. at Wheatfield Park. Let's meet outside, in front of the building with the flagpole at the end of the driveway off Menifee Road. This will give us a chance to meet one another and set up as many ride arrangements as we can. Please email menifeerides@gmail.com or comment here to let me know you can attend. We need more volunteer drivers, so if you know someone who can help, please have them contact me and invite them to the meeting. Hope to see you Monday! Doug Spoon

It's Time to Match Needs With Offers of Help

I will begin sorting through the submissions and building a database of offers and needs for each school. This will be helpful when we meet together, which is tentatively planned for Monday, Aug. 13 at 7 p.m., site TBA. (Can you attend?) Before that meeting, each of you will be contacted to confirm your interest in the program, confirm whether you can attend the meeting, and discuss options we have at this time in your particular situation. This will help me be better prepared to conduct the meeting, when we can all meet each other. If you haven't already left your email in a comment on the site or emailed menifeerides@gmail.com, please do so. And spread the word. We need MORE help and we need to know who NEEDS help in getting Menifee students to school!