The congregants of Christ Lutheran in Natick recently donated a generous sum of money for the GNG-MA JumpStart program. The JumpStart program is intended to assist individuals who do not qualify for GNG's state-funded programs. Approved JumpStart clients are invited to purchase a Good News Garage vehicle at a price significantly below its book value. In an effort to assist clients with the vehicle purchase, registration, insurance and other fees donations to the JumpStart program may be used.

The fundraising effort was led by Jeff Kinney, a member of the Good News Garage Advisory Board and Christ Lutheran Church. The members of the congregation rallied together and collectively raised nearly $4,000 for the Massachusetts JumpStart program.

Following the tremendous gesture of generosity from the congregants, a search for qualified clients was initiated. Thanks to the dedication and efforts of Pamela Bathen-White, a member of Christ Lutheran, a local family in need of transportation was identified. The family struggled due to their lack of safe and reliable transportation, often times having to ask others for a ride or even walking nearly five miles in one direction to get to work. With three school-aged children it was a challenge for the family to schedule medical appointments and an emergency call from the school to pick up their children would mean certain panic and a scramble to locate a ride.

With help from the funds raised by the members of Christ Lutheran, the family was able to purchase a 1995 Ford F-150 truck with 159,000 miles. The family's father is now able to get to his job in construction and this winter was able to plow snow this past winter.

Good News Garage would like to thank everyone at Christ Lutheran Church for their generosity and support in helping a neighbor in need get back on the road to financial self-sufficiency.