From a press release:
Wheels4Hope is launching its first car placement Thursday, Dec. 18, 12-12:30 pm. at Organic Mechanic, 568 Haywood Road, Asheville. The first recipient, Asia Porter, is set to drive away with her car, a recently repaired 1995 Toyota Corolla, following a car blessing.
Porter, a single mother working as a C.N.A., says that having reliable transportation will help her maintain her job and childcare and will create stability on her path to economic self-sufficiency.
“Receiving a Wheels4Hope car means independence, security, and stability to me and my family. Not ever owning a vehicle before, this opportunity is special to me. Having reliable transportation means caring for my son’s needs, getting him to and from school, and creating a healthy life for my family,” says Porter.
Wheels4Hope is a local car donation program that takes donated cars, repairs them and works with community partner agencies to get the cars to people who need reliable transportation. Donated cars are repaired by volunteers (currently Organic Mechanic is donating their time and space) and placed by referral through agencies in the local Asheville area such as Community Action Opportunities. These cars are not “given away” – they are sold for $500 to promote ownership and accountability (the average value of the cars is in the $2,500-4,000 range). It’s a hand up, not a hand out.
The Organic Mechanic is our first partner garage and has been generously donating time and skills to receive, inspect and repair our initial donated cars. Owner Charley Wilson has served on the Advisory Committee and has used his skills and experience to give back to the community.
Porter is a client of Community Action Opportunities’ Life Works program– a nonprofit organization helping people who live on limited incomes transform their lives. They work to deliver comprehensive and innovative, high quality services; build and support strong partnerships; and mobilize community action to create positive change.
For more information, contact:
Vicki Meath, Wheels4Hope Asheville Advisory Committee Chair at 828-301-7291 or Vicki@justeconomicswnc.org
Carol House, External Relations and Compliance Coordinator, Wheels4Hope, at 919-218-4574 or carol@wheels4hope.org
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