When It Clicks: A Driving Moment
Welcome to “When It Clicks”, a new series from, me, JoeyCo Founder Alison. I listen to customers every day and I hear all the time about ‘that moment’ for each of them. It comes at different times with different personal circumstances - but each Host has one. It’s that moment when JoeyCo just clicks as the right option for them.
I am sharing a series of these moments that I hear about all the time, in the hopes that one might resonate with you. To be transparent and to protect privacy, I wrote these based on the prospective Hosts I talk to, not about one specific person. And please remember, when it clicks for you, I am just a click away.
Meet Linda! Her doctor has just issued a new medical driving restriction, which meant her social life was turned upside-down. This is Linda’s JoeyCo story:
When my doctor recommended restricting my night driving, it felt like the world was shrinking. My weekly bridge club meets at 7 PM, and during winter, that meant I'd have to give it up. The thought of asking my daughter to drive me there every week made my stomach twist – she's already so busy with her own family.
But sometimes life has a funny way of steering us toward unexpected solutions.
A New Option
Over coffee, my neighbor Martha mentioned she had a college student living with her – a "Joey," she called her. The young woman paid Martha rent every month, and Martha used that rent to pay her Joey for help around the house and driving to evening activities. At first, I was skeptical. Having someone else in my home? But as Martha described her experience, I found myself leaning in.
"Sarah drives me to my evening book club, helps with grocery shopping, and takes my big trash cans up and down the hill each week," Martha told me. "But the best part? She's not just a helper – she's become part of my daily life. We share stories over breakfast and I give her advice about her classes. I don't feel alone in this big house anymore."
More Than Just a Ride
What caught my attention wasn't just the practical, affordable help – though that was certainly appealing. It was the way Martha's eyes lit up when she talked about her Joey. She wasn't just getting rides; she was gaining a student who brought fresh energy into her home.
Through JoeyCo's careful matching process, they pair Hosts like us with university students who need affordable housing. These young people – our Joeys – help with tasks that get in the way of living our best life, whether it's safely driving us to evening activities, carrying groceries or trash cans, or managing life's little technology snags . In return, they get an affordable place to live and a job that works around their class schedule.
Opening New Possibilities
The more I learned about JoeyCo, the more I realized this wasn't about giving up independence – it was about reimagining it. With a Joey, I could:
Keep attending my evening bridge club
Get household tasks like trash off my schedule
Have extra hands to get ready for when my daughter brings her kids to visit
Share my extra room with a local student who needs housing help
A Brighter Future Together
If you're facing similar new restrictions to your driving, remember: independence doesn't mean alone. Sometimes, it means finding new ways to live the life you want – and maybe making a difference in a young person's life along the way.
Having my keys taken away felt like my world was shrinking. But with JoeyCo, I can still do it all.
Roadtrip anyone?
Ready to learn more about becoming a Host? Call Alison (me!) at JoeyCo today for a friendly chat about how we can help you maintain your independence while creating opportunities for the next generation, too.
