Detroit church steps in to help seniors get to voting polls

(CBS DETROIT) — Many don't think too hard about getting out and voting, but for homebound and elderly Detroiters, it's a right they may not get the opportunity to exercise.

One Northwest Detroit church is taking the initiative to change that by organizing rides to get them to the polls early.

"One of these (vans) sits nine passengers, and the other one seats eight," said Larry Matthews, a deacon at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church. "And we're going to take them to have their voices heard."

The church started a GoFundMe page that has already reached 49% of its goal in just eight days. Matthews said the money would be used to fill up the van's gas tank and perform regular maintenance. Any leftovers will then be used in Harford Baptist's food pantry.

"Everything just came together," Matthews told CBS News Detroit. "I called the drivers. I called the scouts, their leaders, and we said we're going to do it."

CBS News Detroit caught up with another church member who said she was overjoyed to help when she heard about the initiative in service on Sunday. She said the people who will be helped are the same people who afforded her the right to cast a ballot, and they deserve to still have their voices heard.

"To provide transportation, that's the least we could do for our seniors," Trudy Butler said. "We owe it to those who came before us –from civil rights to voting rights. It's only befitting for us to do our service to them because they've done so much for us in the past."

The rides will not try to persuade participants one way or the other, either. Deacon Matthews said they only want to help everyone participate in the democratic process.

"It's about their voice being heard," Matthews said. "We don't care who they vote for, we just want them to vote."

For more information about scheduling a ride to the polls, contact Hartford Memorial Baptist Church at 313-861-1285.