Good News Garage, a program of Lutheran Social Services, has awarded four 2008 Chevrolet Impalas to deserving families in Vermont and New Hampshire. Ten Chevy Impalas were generously donated to the Lutheran agency's Good News Garage by Rick Hendrick of Hendrickcars.com earlier this year on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” The donation was a surprise gift from Hendrick during the segment in which Hal Colston, Good News Garage’s founding director, was honored.
Following the airing of the show, Good News Garage -- which has five programs throughout the New England states -- created an application procedure designed to match these cars with the most deserving recipients in each of the five states in which Good News Garage operates.
Four of the cars were designated for Vermont. Two of the Vermont cars were earmarked for NeighborKeepers, a nonprofit established by Hal Colston based out of the Winooski’s O’Brien Community Center. Two of cars were assigned to New Hampshire and the remaining cars will be placed by Good News Garage Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Applicants were required to submit detailed information about their finances, write a statement of need and include a letter of support from a non-relative. Good News Garage received over 175 Vermont and New Hampshire applications within a three week period.
A team of diverse community leaders was assembled in each state to serve as the selection committee in a rigorous vetting process.
“We hoped to find people who had made an extra effort to overcome adversity and improve their lives,” shared John Simson, Vermont selection committee member. “This was a very difficult decision; there were many worthy applicants.”
VERMONT
Recipients of the two vehicles placed by Good News Garage Vermont were:
Traci and Paul Wright –They have two school age children, aged 10 and 1. Paul was diagnosed last year with life-threatening cancer. Because of his illness he was unable to work which lead to the loss of their construction business, home and car. Traci now has a job with Pizzagalli Construction in Burlington. The family will use this car for work, school and medical treatment.
Kate Carroll - Katie is a 25 year-old mother of two boys, aged 1 and 5. She works full-time for Federal Express and part-time for Price Chopper. She is attending school online and has earned an associate degree in Criminal Justice and is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Forensic Psychology. Katie needed transportation to care for her two children and further her education.
New Hampshire
The Good News Garage New Hampshire recipients included:
Nancy Webster lives in Derry and is the mother of three. Because her daughter is unable to care for her child, Nancy has guardianship of her two-year old grandson. Nancy works full-time at Dunkin Donuts and does not own a working vehicle. She walks to work, but daycare is 10 miles away. She writes,"Without a car to get my grandson to daycare, I will lose my daycare spot. Without daycare I will lose my job. I am the working poor. I would like to keep my job and my grandson’s daycare, but without someone’s help, I don’t think these things will happen."
Kim Yacobucci is a single mother from Portsmouth who owns a 1999 Ford Taurus that requires significant repairs to maintain. She has a 14 year old son who has severe autism and cerebral palsy. He resides in a care facility in Tilton and she drives back and forth on weekends to bring him home. Kim works full-time for a nonprofit, transporting clients and was recently appointed to a state council. She hopes to return to school to pursue a degree in nursing.
If you are inspired by Rick Hendrick’s gift and want to help other low-income families in New England with their transportation needs, make a financial or car donation online right now or phone Good News Garage toll-free at 877.448.3288. Good News Garage.
The mission of Good News Garage is to create economic opportunity by providing affordable and reliable transportation options for people in need. All donated vehicles are eligible for a tax deductible.