Reliable transportation makes a huge impact on a person’s ability to live. Jumping in the car and being able to go to work, take the kids to school, visit the doctor, or even go to the store is something that is often taken for granted. If the ability to drive is taken away, or not even available to begin with, an avalanche of problems are created that are nearly impossible to dig out of.
GRACE is proud to announce that the final two donated cars in our possession have been given to very deserving members of our Transitional Housing program.
The vast majority of GRACE clients are termed the “working poor”. Their wages cover most of their essentials, and for the most part their vehicles get them around. But, unlike the rest of us who can roll our cars into a repair shop when something goes wrong, to our clients a massive car repair or an accident immediately becomes a major crisis. For the folks in Transitional Housing, the safety nets for these types of crises are very thin. Being able to give the gift of reliable transportation immediately transforms the lives of families and serves as a perfect example of the services and outcomes we work so hard to achieve.
The car titles transferred this week were to a single mother and a woman who was using Uber as her only means of transportation. Saving the money that she was using on a ride-share service can now go to more important needs and help her achieve critical goals for her success as a member of Transitional Housing.
One of the donated vehicles, a little red Saturn, has a manual transmission and the person receiving the car hadn’t driven one since she was a teenager… our Chief Program Officer Stacy Pacholick took her out for a driving lesson in a local parking lot. The client quickly got comfortable driving it and now she has more control over her schedule, her pocket book, and her future.
Helping the community is a lot like learning how to drive stick…you’re going to stall but with a little patience and a guiding hand – you’ll be off on your own in no time.
If you have a good working vehicle to donate to GRACE, a full fair market valuation of the car will be set, and a receipt for the tax-deductible gift will be issued. If you have a car donation, please contact Teresa Williamson, GRACE Chief Operating Officer, or call 817-305-4661.
