Privacy Policy

Effective date: August 23, 2026

Chaverim Of St Louis ("Chaverim," "we," "us," or "our") is a nonprofit volunteer organization serving the St. Louis area. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, protect, and retain information in connection with our website, volunteer operations, assistance requests, private St. Louis Chaverim GroupMe group, SMS bridge, and related communications and services.

This policy applies to people who request assistance, volunteers, administrators, website visitors, and other people whose information is provided to Chaverim. It does not replace any additional notice that may be provided for a particular service.

1. Information We Collect

Depending on how a person interacts with Chaverim, we may collect or receive the following categories of information:

  • Identity and contact information: names, nicknames, telephone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses, service locations, and other contact details.
  • Assistance-request information: the type of help requested; the date, time, and location of the request; callback instructions; vehicle make, model, color, condition, and other identifying details; property or lockout information; descriptions of the circumstances; and information needed to evaluate, dispatch, coordinate, and complete a request.
  • Volunteer and membership information: volunteer names, telephone numbers, GroupMe names and identifiers, profile images, roles, unit or responder identifiers, availability, assignments, arrival and completion status, training information, and administrative approvals.
  • Communications and chat content: messages, SMS replies, dispatch alerts, status updates, comments, mentions, reactions, replies, photographs, images, links, attachments, and other content shared through GroupMe, SMS, telephone, email, website forms, or other communication channels.
  • SMS enrollment and consent records: the volunteer's name and mobile number, volunteer status, the date and method of consent, the disclosures provided at enrollment, opt-out and HELP requests, re-enrollment records, allowlist status, and related administrative records.
  • Technical and service information: message and event identifiers, timestamps, delivery status, platform and provider information, webhook and system logs, security and duplicate-prevention records, IP address and browser or device information when provided by our website or service providers, and information generated by GroupMe, Telnyx, Cloudflare, Squarespace, telecommunications carriers, or similar providers.
  • Other information voluntarily provided: any additional information a requester, volunteer, administrator, referring person, or other participant chooses to provide.

Please do not provide Social Security numbers, financial-account information, payment-card information, medical records, government identification numbers, passwords, or other highly sensitive information through the GroupMe or SMS bridge. If such information is inadvertently submitted, contact us promptly using the information below.

2. Sources of Information

We may receive information directly from the person requesting assistance; from a family member, friend, dispatcher, volunteer, administrator, or referring organization; through our website or telephone communications; through the private GroupMe group or SMS bridge; and from vendors that help us operate these services.

If you provide information about another person, you should have a reasonable basis and appropriate permission to provide that information for the purpose of requesting or coordinating assistance.

3. How We Use Information

We may use information to:

  • receive, evaluate, dispatch, coordinate, document, and follow up on assistance requests;
  • identify available volunteers and communicate locations, callback details, vehicle information, safety information, and other facts needed to respond;
  • operate the private GroupMe group and the GroupMe-to-SMS bridge;
  • verify volunteers, maintain the SMS allowlist, document consent, process STOP and HELP requests, and prevent messaging to opted-out numbers;
  • maintain service histories, operational archives, incident records, training materials, quality-control records, volunteer accountability records, and nonprofit administrative records;
  • investigate complaints, errors, misuse, safety incidents, security events, and potential violations of our policies;
  • protect the rights, safety, property, and security of requesters, volunteers, Chaverim, service providers, and the public;
  • comply with legal, regulatory, insurance, tax, audit, and recordkeeping obligations; and
  • improve our volunteer operations, communications, training, and services.

4. How Information Is Disclosed

We may disclose relevant information to:

  • Authorized volunteers and administrators: Members of the private dispatch group and enrolled SMS volunteers may receive information reasonably needed to evaluate or respond to an assistance request.
  • Service providers: We use third parties such as GroupMe, Telnyx, Cloudflare, Squarespace, telecommunications carriers, hosting providers, and technical-support providers to transmit, store, secure, or process information on our behalf.
  • Assistance and safety partners: When reasonably necessary, information may be shared with towing companies, locksmiths, emergency services, law enforcement, property representatives, roadside providers, or other people involved in addressing a request or safety concern.
  • Legal and protective disclosures: We may disclose information when we believe disclosure is required by law, legal process, court order, insurance requirement, or governmental request, or is reasonably necessary to protect rights, safety, property, or security.
  • Organizational transactions: Information may be transferred as part of a merger, reorganization, asset transfer, or similar organizational change, subject to applicable law and appropriate protections.

No mobile information will be sold or shared with third parties for promotional or marketing purposes. SMS originator opt-in data and consent records will not be sold, rented, or shared with third parties for purposes unrelated to providing or supporting the Chaverim SMS program. We may disclose mobile information to vendors, telecommunications providers, and other processors only as needed to operate, secure, and support the messaging service or as required by law.

Chaverim does not use the volunteer dispatch SMS program for advertising, commercial marketing, political messaging, or fundraising solicitations.

5. SMS Program and Choices

The SMS bridge is available only to authorized Chaverim volunteers who have been approved by an administrator and whose consent has been documented through a private, access-controlled enrollment process. Message frequency varies and may be up to 100 messages per month. Message and data rates may apply.

A participant may reply STOP at any time to stop future messages and may reply HELP for assistance. A STOP request withdraws consent for future SMS messages from the program. It does not automatically delete messages, consent records, dispatch records, or other historical information already retained by Chaverim, other participants, telecommunications carriers, or service providers.

After opting out, a volunteer will not be re-added unless the volunteer provides new consent and an administrator approves the re-enrollment. Consent to receive SMS messages is not a condition of donating, purchasing, receiving community assistance, or volunteering through non-SMS methods.

6. Retention of Information

Chaverim maintains operational and historical records for legitimate nonprofit purposes that may include dispatch history, incident review, safety, training, quality control, volunteer accountability, insurance, legal claims, audits, consent documentation, opt-out compliance, and preservation of the organization's history.

Chat messages, assistance records, contact details, attachments, consent records, system logs, and related information may therefore be retained for as long as Chaverim reasonably determines that a legitimate operational, historical, safety, legal, or administrative purpose continues to exist. Depending on the record and its purpose, this retention may be indefinite.

We may delete, de-identify, restrict, or securely dispose of information when we determine it is no longer reasonably needed, when continued retention creates an unacceptable security risk, when a service provider requires removal, or when deletion is required by applicable law, legal process, contractual obligation, or a valid enforceable request. This policy does not promise that every record will be kept forever or that every copy can be deleted. Copies may remain on volunteers' devices, in backups, or in systems controlled by GroupMe, Telnyx, Cloudflare, telecommunications carriers, or other providers under their own retention practices.

7. Security and Confidentiality

We use administrative, organizational, and technical safeguards designed to protect information, including a private GroupMe group, volunteer approval procedures, access controls, an SMS allowlist, opt-out suppression, and restrictions on non-authorized telephone numbers. Access should be limited to people who reasonably need the information for Chaverim operations.

No system is completely secure. SMS messages are not end-to-end encrypted, may appear on a recipient's device or lock screen, and may be stored by carriers and service providers. Participants must protect their devices, accounts, and credentials and must not disclose dispatch information outside authorized Chaverim purposes.

8. Privacy Requests and Corrections

You may contact us to ask about information associated with you, request a correction, withdraw SMS consent, or request deletion. We will evaluate requests under applicable law, safety considerations, the rights of other people, technical feasibility, and our legitimate recordkeeping needs. We may need to verify your identity before acting. Certain records may be retained despite a request when reasonably necessary for legal compliance, claims, safety, security, consent and opt-out documentation, organizational history, or other legitimate purposes.

Because group messages are distributed to multiple participants and third-party systems, Chaverim may not be able to retrieve or delete every copy already delivered to another person's device or retained by a service provider.

9. Children's Information

Our website and volunteer SMS program are not directed to children under 13, and children under 13 may not enroll in the SMS program. Adults requesting assistance should avoid providing unnecessary personal information about minors. If you believe a child has submitted personal information directly to us without appropriate authorization, contact us.

10. Third-Party Services

Our services may rely on or link to third-party platforms. Their collection, use, security, and retention of information are governed by their own terms and privacy policies. Chaverim does not control those independent practices.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our operations, technology, legal obligations, or service providers. The revised policy will be posted with a new effective date. Material changes affecting the SMS program may also be communicated to enrolled volunteers when appropriate.

SMS Program Terms and Volunteer Communication Terms

Effective date: August 23, 2026

These SMS Program Terms and Volunteer Communication Terms ("Terms") govern participation in the Chaverim Of St Louis volunteer dispatch and coordination messaging program, including the private St. Louis Chaverim GroupMe group and the GroupMe-to-SMS bridge (collectively, the "Program"). By enrolling in, accessing, or using the Program, you agree to these Terms and the Chaverim Of St Louis Privacy Policy.

1. Program Purpose

The Program supports Chaverim Of St Louis volunteer operations in the St. Louis area. It may be used to communicate non-emergency roadside and community-assistance requests, including battery boosts, flat tires, vehicle or house lockouts, tire inflation, animal assistance, and similar requests; identify available volunteers; coordinate assignments; provide locations and callback details; and communicate arrival, cancellation, completion, and other status updates.

The Program is not a public group-chat service, emergency-dispatch service, towing service, locksmith service, law-enforcement service, or substitute for professional assistance.

2. Emergencies

Do not use the Program for emergencies. If anyone faces an immediate threat to life, health, safety, or property, call 911 or the appropriate emergency service. Messages may be delayed, missed, filtered, or unavailable, and Chaverim does not guarantee that any volunteer will receive or respond to a request.

3. Eligibility and Approval

The GroupMe group and SMS bridge are limited to volunteers and administrators authorized by Chaverim Of St Louis. An administrator must verify and approve each SMS participant before adding the participant's mobile number to the private allowlist. Enrollment is not open to the general public.

You must provide accurate enrollment information, protect access to your telephone and GroupMe account, and promptly notify Chaverim if your telephone number, volunteer status, or authorization changes. Chaverim may refuse, suspend, or terminate access at any time for safety, security, operational, compliance, or organizational reasons.

4. SMS Consent and Message Frequency

By providing documented consent and being added to the SMS allowlist, you authorize Chaverim Of St Louis to send recurring volunteer dispatch and coordination text messages to the mobile number you provided. Messages may be sent using automated systems. Message frequency varies and may be up to 100 messages per month. Message and data rates may apply.

Consent to SMS is not a condition of donating, purchasing, receiving community assistance, or volunteering through non-SMS methods.

5. Opting Out and Getting Help

You may reply STOP to the toll-free number at any time to stop future SMS messages. After a STOP request is processed, you may receive a final confirmation message, but no additional Program messages should be sent unless you later provide new consent and an administrator approves your re-enrollment. You may reply HELP for assistance or contact us using the information below.

Withdrawing SMS consent stops future Program texts. It does not remove messages previously delivered, terminate every other volunteer relationship, or automatically delete historical dispatch, consent, opt-out, security, or administrative records.

6. Information Included in Dispatch Messages

Program messages may include names, telephone numbers, service addresses or locations, vehicle descriptions, the nature of an assistance request, safety or access information, volunteer or unit identifiers, assignment status, arrival information, photographs, links, attachments, and completion or cancellation updates.

This information may relate to people who are not members of the Program. Participants must treat it as confidential operational information and use it only to evaluate, coordinate, perform, document, or follow up on authorized Chaverim assistance.

7. Participant Responsibilities

When using the Program, you agree to:

  • use Program information only for legitimate Chaverim volunteer purposes;

  • protect caller, requester, volunteer, and organizational information from unauthorized access or disclosure;

  • not forward, publish, post, sell, or use messages, screenshots, photographs, telephone numbers, addresses, or other Program information for personal, commercial, promotional, political, fundraising, or unrelated purposes;

  • not add, invite, or provide access to an unauthorized person;

  • not impersonate another person or submit knowingly false, misleading, unlawful, threatening, harassing, discriminatory, defamatory, obscene, or malicious content;

  • not transmit malware, interfere with the Program, evade the allowlist, probe security, scrape information, or use automated tools without authorization;

  • share only information reasonably necessary for the assistance request and avoid Social Security numbers, financial-account information, payment-card data, government identification numbers, passwords, medical records, and other unnecessary highly sensitive information;

  • follow applicable safety instructions, laws, volunteer procedures, and administrator directions; and

  • promptly report a lost device, compromised account, mistaken disclosure, security concern, or suspected misuse to Chaverim.

If you provide information about another person, you represent that you have a reasonable and appropriate basis to provide it for requesting or coordinating assistance.

8. Recording and Retention

Messages and related information may be recorded, exported, backed up, reviewed, and retained by Chaverim for dispatch history, incident review, safety, training, quality control, volunteer accountability, insurance, legal claims, audits, consent and opt-out compliance, nonprofit administration, and historical preservation.

Records may be retained for as long as Chaverim reasonably determines that a legitimate operational, historical, safety, legal, or administrative purpose continues to exist, which may be indefinitely. Chaverim may nevertheless delete, restrict, de-identify, or dispose of information when it is no longer reasonably needed, when retention creates an unacceptable security risk, when a service provider requires removal, or when applicable law, legal process, contractual obligations, or a valid enforceable request requires action.

Participants acknowledge that messages may also remain on recipients' devices, in backups, and in systems operated by GroupMe, Telnyx, Cloudflare, telecommunications carriers, or other providers. Chaverim cannot guarantee deletion or continued preservation of copies controlled by other people or providers.

9. Third-Party Networks and Services

The Program depends on third-party platforms, networks, devices, and services, including GroupMe, Telnyx, Cloudflare, telecommunications carriers, internet providers, and mobile-device systems. Those services may collect and retain information under their own terms and privacy policies.

Chaverim does not control and is not responsible for outages, delays, message filtering, duplicate messages, delivery failures, carrier blocking, device behavior, third-party security incidents, or changes made by those providers.

10. No Guarantee of Assistance

Chaverim services are provided by volunteers as available. Submission or receipt of a message does not create a contract for service, guarantee acceptance of an assignment, establish a professional relationship, or guarantee any particular response time or outcome. A requester remains responsible for obtaining professional or emergency assistance when appropriate.

Volunteers must use their own judgment and should not attempt work beyond their training, equipment, authorization, or safe operating conditions. Chaverim may cancel, reassign, decline, or close a request at any time.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Program is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. Chaverim disclaims warranties of availability, delivery, accuracy, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, security, and uninterrupted operation. Nothing in these Terms excludes a warranty or right that cannot lawfully be excluded.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Chaverim Of St Louis and its directors, officers, administrators, volunteers, agents, and service providers will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages arising from the Program, delayed or failed messages, unavailable volunteers, third-party services, unauthorized access, or reliance on Program communications. Any limitation applies only to the extent permitted by applicable law and does not limit liability that cannot legally be limited.

13. Suspension and Termination

Chaverim may restrict, suspend, or terminate a participant's access for loss of volunteer status, misuse, confidentiality violations, unsafe conduct, security concerns, legal or carrier requirements, prolonged inactivity, or any other reasonable operational reason. Sections concerning confidentiality, records, retention, disclaimers, liability, and governing law survive termination.

14. Changes to the Program or Terms

Chaverim may change or discontinue the Program and may update these Terms. Updated Terms will be posted with a revised effective date. Material changes affecting enrolled SMS volunteers may also be communicated by text or another reasonable method. Continued participation after an update constitutes acceptance to the extent permitted by law.

15. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Missouri, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any dispute will be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction serving St. Louis County, Missouri, except where applicable law requires otherwise.

16. Severability and Entire Agreement

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in effect, and the unenforceable provision will be modified only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any written volunteer policies applicable to the Program, constitute the agreement concerning use of the Program.