Imagine missing a critical medical appointment or surgery because there’s no ride available, or having your truck break down unexpectedly causing you to miss work. These are real challenges faced by our neighbors every day. While our region has several transportation services: Community Care of Peterborough, Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services (including the Friendly Bus), City Express Medical Transport, CVTC, and the “Keep New Hampshire Moving” online directory, and others, these programs are stretched thin. There are always more people in need than rides available.
This season of giving, something special has arrived. We were approached by Sween Fleetz, a local transportation company owned by Edward Sweeney, who also runs the food-delivery service SweenEats. Ed came to us with a simple goal: to help people get where they need to go.
Ed’s commitment comes from experience and from his faith. In 2022, during the COVID lockdowns, his family was homebound for several days with very little food. That experience inspired him to start SweenEats and eventually expand into transportation services, recognizing that so many people in our community were stuck, literally and figuratively.
When rising fuel costs forced Ed to raise his fares by just $5, he lost riders, not because they were angry, but because they simply couldn’t afford it. That moment sparked a question in his heart: How can I help those who truly need rides, regardless of their ability to pay?
The answer came in a deeply personal way. One early morning, around 3 a.m., Ed awoke with a sudden, overwhelming sense that he was being called to action. What he believes was a divine intervention. Ideas flooded his mind, and he felt a clear direction: to create a program that would ensure people could get where they needed to go.
From that moment, Ed’s P22 Initiative was born, named after Proverbs 22:2: “Rich and poor have a common bond: the Lord is the maker of them all.” Through this program, community members can donate via the SweenZapp app. Donations are converted into transportation vouchers, which The River Center distributes to residents for essential travel, medical appointments, funerals, and other critical needs.
The River Center will coordinate with Sween Fleetz to schedule rides, monitor calls, and determine eligibility. While this program will not accommodate same-day or emergency rides due to staffing limits and same-day ride availability, this program allows us to help people plan and access transportation for the moments when travel is necessary but out of reach.
This is also an opportunity for the River Center to educate riders on the other resources available in this community that they can tap into so that they can meet the cost of transportation. Whether that be money coaching, fuel assistance, saving on the cost of their tax preparation etc. Each case will be looked at individually to determine need and a way forward. This is the beauty of this collaboration, a road to answers.
While contributions to Sween Fleetz for the P22 Initiative are not tax-deductible, they have an immediate impact by helping community members access essential transportation. I will add that if, in your generous giving, you are looking for a tax deduction, especially this time of year, you can always donate directly to The River Center; these contributions remain critical for supporting the full range of programs and services that help families thrive.
During this season of giving, seeing programs like this take root reminds me why I do this work. It’s not just about rides or services, it’s about hope, connection, and the dignity of making sure no one must stay stuck.
As we gather with friends and family, and as lights and music fill our homes and hearts, I am grateful for partnerships like this one, for people like Ed, and for a community that continues to show up, spreading warmth, care, and joy to everyone, even when the road is long. This holiday season, let us remember that giving comes in many forms, and sometimes the simplest act, a ride, a helping hand, is the greatest gift of all. Wishing you a warm, community-filled season, from the River Center.