Good running used cars are needed for GRACE Transitional Housing clients.
Reliable transportation had been an issue for our clients in the GRACE Transitional Housing forever. Usually, we are blessed with help from local businesses, a stop-gap measure with GRACE delivery vehicles, or a donor’s gift of a good used car.
Transportation is an issue for most all GRACE clients. 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.
As we all do, they have to get back and forth to work, to the schools and back for their children, to the grocery store, the doctor, and all the other errands. 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, as GRACE Transitional Housing Manager Brittany Flewellen found out this week.
“I have two clients that are needing a vehicle as soon as possible.
“[K’s] vehicle has given her a lot of trouble. I know that she has put a lot of money into repairs. She just got home from [the auto shop] and they ran a test on the vehicle to see what is going on.
“[A cylinder] is broken and she needs a new motor. The total cost for repair and labor is $2,907.25.” The car truly isn’t worth the repair cost.
Brittany continued:
“[N] was in a minor accident a few months ago. The car is still drivable, but it will not pass the inspection at the end of the month. The front end is beat up pretty bad, and it’s dangerous to drive at night. She took it for an estimate and the cost is $8,000 to fix.”
On top of all of this, many of the clients in Transitional Housing rely on ride-sharing with other clients. When a car is out of commission, many times two or three people feel the impact.
We are humbly asking for vehicles with good running life left. The safety of our clients is utmost on our minds, and we want to make sure their transportation is as reliable as possible.
Again, respectfully, we are not looking for a “push-pull-or-drag” donation. If you have such a car, please contact Charity Motors. The good folks there will assist you with your donation—and just make sure you let them know you would like to proceeds to come to GRACE!
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.
