What is Road To Recovery?

Road to Recovery is a free, volunteer-based transportation program in which trained volunteer drivers transport people to cancer-related appointments using the volunteers' own cars and gas. Due to variations in drivers’ availability, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to accommodate every appointment.

The American Cancer Society partners with Roundtrip, a mobile-friendly digital platform, that supports our Road To Recovery program and streamlines the patient-driver matching process. Roundtrip quickly and easily connects drivers to requested rides in their area. Volunteer drivers can accept ride requests in real-time, and if you match with an available driver, you will receive a notification that your ride to treatment has been confirmed.

How does the Roundtrip platform work?
Through Roundtrip, you will be able to request your own rides. Volunteer drivers can accept ride requests in real-time, and if you match with an available driver, you will receive a notification that your ride to treatment has been confirmed. You will receive individual notifications for each leg of your requested trip with your driver's information.

How much advanced notice is required to request a ride?
While you can book with as little as 25 hours advanced notice, we strongly suggest the ride requests should fall within a 3-day to 3-week advanced notice window. This maximizes your chances of all volunteers in your area seeing and being able to respond to your ride.

Will I receive a separate notification for each part of my ride?

Yes, you will receive separate notifications for the ride to your appointment and another one for your return trip home.

How do I request a ride, make changes to an existing request or cancel rides?
Refer to the rider guide for instructions on using the Roundtrip tool to request, change and/or cancel ride requests.

How will I know if a volunteer has accepted my ride request?
You will be notified by text message or voice call, depending on your preference set when requesting a ride. Notifications will happen when a volunteer accepts your ride. If a volunteer does not accept your ride, that notification will happen 24 hours in advance of your requested ride. Text notifications will come from (215) 309-9702. Passengers will receive text or voice notifications for each leg of the ride, so it's important to refer to the times noted in the notifications to understand which legs of the trip may or may not have been claimed by a volunteer driver.

Why is the ride I requested not guaranteed to be accepted by a driver?

Road To Recovery is a volunteer program and is dependent on volunteer availability as well as their driving preferences. While we work hard to have many volunteers in your area that might be able to accept your ride, we encourage you to have a backup plan in case no driver is available. We especially encourage this when the ride is far from your home or requires multiple tolls, heavy traffic, etc.

Can I give my volunteer a tip or greeting card?
Tips/Gift Cards: No, volunteer drivers do not accept tips or gift cards, as the Road To Recovery program is a free service to people with cancer. If you want to offer a tip / monetary gift, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society instead.​

Greeting Cards: Yes, volunteers can accept thank you cards, notes, or letters. The best way to provide these is to hand them directly to the driver. If this is not possible, ACS can provide the address to the closest ACS office, so that the office staff can help to route the card/letter to the intended recipient.

How is ACS ensuring the safety of volunteers and patients?
The American Cancer Society is committed to ensuring the safety of patients and volunteers. We are following CDC guidance for safety protocols for the immunocompromised population that drivers and patients will be asked to follow. Drivers and passengers are required to wear a mask. Drivers are also required to wipe down commonly touched surfaces in their vehicle with disinfecting wipes before and after each patient and maintain six feet from the patient when outside of the vehicle and avoid using recirculated air. In addition, ACS strongly encourages all volunteer drivers be up to date with COVID vaccinations (i.e., completed their vaccination series at least 10 days prior to participating in the program) and continue to stay up to date with booster requirements.

What should I do if I've had exposure, symptoms or a diagnosis of Coronavirus?
Please cancel your requested rides. You may resume participation in the program when 10 days have passed from the date symptoms started, the date of a positive COVID-19 test result, or the date of the last exposure to someone with COVID-19. If you’ve been exposed to COVID-19, you may resume participation in the program when you are 5-days symptom free and have a negative COVID-19 test.

Where can I get help using the Roundtrip platform?
Please call the American Cancer Society with any questions or for assistance. ACS is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Our toll-free number is 1-888-227-6333.