W&L Student Launches New Nonprofit
HomeLink Health and the Rockbridge Area Transportation System (RATS) will co-host a f und r ai s ing dinner on Tuesday, May 5, at the Lexington Horse Center Mezzanine.
The event, “Fiesta for Fares,” is a Cinco de Mayo-themed evening featuring Mexican cuisine, handcrafted margaritas, and live music. Organizers expect more than 100 community members in attendance. Tickets are available at homelinkhealth. org under the Events tab.
The event starts at 6 p.m., with the dinner served at 7.
All proceeds will go directly toward ride vouchers for Rockbridge area residents who lack the means to get to medical appointments. That includes uninsured and underinsured neighbors, as well as seniors on Medicare whose plans do not cover transportation for specialized or out-of-area care such as dialysis, cancer treatment, and mental health services. As the primary transportation provider in the region, RATS is a central partner in making those rides possible.
The dinner is the latest effort from HomeLink Health, a Rockbridge County nonprofit founded by Washington and Lee University sophomore Ryan Good of Richmond.
The organization, a registered 501(c)(3), provides medical equipment, home safety supplies, and transportation assistance to area residents who cannot otherwise afford or access them — whether they are recovering at home, discharging from a hospital, transitioning from a nursing facility, or simply in need of support that falls outside what insurance will cover.
Good, who is pursuing a double major in business administration and politics while competing on W&L’s varsity tennis team, said his path to founding the organization grew from both personal and professional experience.
After witnessing the challenges older adults in his own family faced navigating care, he began to see the problem more broadly through volunteering with Ronald McDonald House Charities in Richmond and at Carilion Clinic in Lexington. Those experiences revealed a recurring gap — people without a clear path to the resources they needed to recover and stay well.
HomeLink Health works through community referrals and direct outreach, coordinating resources such as walkers, wheelchairs, grab bars, shower benches, and ride vouchers for medical appointments. The organization particularly focuses on older adults at risk of falls and low-income individuals who fall through the cracks of insurance coverage.
According to the organization, 3.6 million Americans miss medical care each year due to transportation barriers alone, and one in four older adults experience a fall annually — the vast majority of them preventable.
The event has drawn support from several local businesses and organizations, with sponsors including Carilion Clinic, Sweet Treats, Spencer Home Center, Chefs Catering Company, and Kelly Nye Photography. Additional businesses and individuals interested in supporting Fiesta for Fares can visit homelinkhealth.org and complete the partner form. Residents, families, and health care providers can also submit referrals through the site.
