Local congregation and garage supports community family in need of transportation

The Wakeminster Baptist Church congregation has been actively supporting Wheels4Hope since 2014 with financial support, car donations, and volunteers. The skills of church member and garage owner Bobby Dunn are shared regularly through his company, Triangle Car Care. Once a quarter Triangle Car Care makes needed repairs to vehicles donated to Wheels4Hope, preparing them for a family or individual referred to the nonprofit. Additionally as customers decide to transition to a different vehicle, Bobby and his staff recommend donating the vehicles to Wheels4Hope to benefit the community and receive a tax deduction.

Today’s car blessing is a combination of these connections. A Triangle Car Care customer decided that her 98 Dodge Caravan minivan had served her family well, but it was time for a different vehicle. Information was shared with her about Wheels4Hope, and she donated the vehicle. After assessing the vehicle, Wheels4Hope recognized the minivan could benefit another family through the mission’s program. The donated vehicle was returned to Triangle Car Care with the needed parts for repairs. Mechanics at the garage shared their skills to make the repairs, preparing the vehicle for a new owner.

Heleen Onuoha was referred to Wheels4Hope through Passage Home. She and her 4 children have been in the Self-Sufficiency Program for the past year. Heleen currently walks 45 minutes one-way to her job as a Shift Manager. With her own transportation, it will only be a 6 minute drive. This will be especially helpful when she leaves work at midnight to get home.

Today Heleen will celebrate, with the Wakeminster congregation, being a car owner again. Heleen looks forward to increasing her reliability and recognizes this “Opens the door for more advancement in life." Having safe, reliable transportation allows individuals and families to increase their access to employment, education, church, and civic activities.