Organization providing working families with transportation assistance vows to help 50 deserving Tampa Bay families get “on the road again” on Labor Day.
Tampa, FL (July 26) -- Wheels of Success, Inc., the grassroots nonprofit organization that helps working families by providing them with a reliable transportation so they can continue to work, is asking bay area employers to submit the name of an employee whom they believe is hard-working and deserves the help that having a reliable vehicle can bring to a family.
"We will assist 50 families on Labor Day who qualify and whose employers have identified them as hard-working and deserving of this kind of help," said Susan Jacobs, founder and CEO of Wheels of Success, Inc. based in Tampa but serving Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties.
To submit the name of an employee for consideration, employers should visit the website: www.wheelsofsuccess.org, and click on the red box that reads "I Need Help" and fill out the Client Referral by Employer application.
The deadline to submit the name of an employee is Aug. 15. Employees who qualify, based on the information submitted by their employers, will receive their vehicles on Labor Day at the Wheels of Success office which is located in the Family Justice Center, 9309 N. Florida Avenue, Suite 109, Tampa.
"The Labor Day car giveaway is becoming our signature event," said Don Kruse, President of Wheels of Success. Kruse, a sales manager at Bill Currie Ford, is especially attuned to the vital role that a reliable vehicle has on the family bread-winner. He cites USF research showing that Tampa is the highest cost metropolitan city in the country for transportation costs. In Tampa Bay, 40 percent of the working poor's income is spent on transportation as opposed to 24.6 percent of the general population's. "That's why this organization is so valuable to the community. We understand that a car can mean all the difference between moving ahead or falling back further."
Wheels of Success asks those clients who benefit from the program to "Pay it Forward." Clients receiving a vehicle "buy" it from the program by making monthly payments based on ability to pay, as well as donating 5 service hours per month to the organization. These payments enable our Clients to make a difference and help Wheels of Success to keep rolling and serving others. In order to qualify, employee earnings cannot exceed 250 percent of the U.S. poverty level.
Since its inception in 2003, Wheels of Success has assisted 176 families and 120 have received cars. An additional 56 families have received car repairs, down payment, insurance or other assistance. In 2007 alone, 31 families have received cars and 20 additional clients have been given vehicle repairs or assistance.
The organization gladly accepts cash donations to help with the cost of repairs which will be matched by the Children's Board of Hillsborough County up to $10,000. They can be made by visiting the website, www.wheelsofsuccess.org and clicking on make a donation; vehicles are also needed; they do not have to be running and will be picked up at no charge. For additional information, please call 813-940-9443.
Wheels of Success is located at 9309 N. Florida Ave., Tampa. It was incorporated in 2003 to help families obtain or continue work by providing them with reliable transportation. It is Tampa Bay's only 501(c)3 nonprofit organization providing a full range of transportation solutions, including vehicle replacement, car repair, licensing, car payment and down payment assistance to low and moderate income working families.