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Special thanks to United Way Suncoast for awarding Wheels of Success a $7,500 Innovation & Community Response Mini Grant for our "Keys to Reestablishing Credit" Program.
This program will allow Wheels of Success to report our clients' monthly, on time Wheels "Pay it Forward" car payments to the credit bureaus to help improve their credit. Poor Credit is a major issue for many of our clients forcing them to buy vehicles at high interest rates and not allowing them access to housing and other opportunities.
The United Way Suncoast Support of this program will provide another opportunity for our clients to improve their lives through financial stability.
For more information about United Way Suncoast visit unitedwaysuncoast.org.
With her Wheels' vehicle she no longer has to compromise her health to get to work.
Wanda has diabetes and was walking long distances to catch her bus in Florida's extreme high temperatures. People with diabetes need to be extra careful when temperatures climb dramatically. Extreme heat and heavy activity in heat negatively affects blood sugar control.
These extreme body stresses and the psychological stress it caused was putting Wanda at a higher risk, often worsening her blood sugar control and as a result her health.
Knowing this she still she tried never to miss work until one day the stress and extreme health effects of walking so far took their toll on her health. Wanda ended up being hospitalized to get her diabetes back under control and treat the resulting heart complications.
With her Wheels' vehicle she no longer has to compromise her health to get to work. Her diabetes is easier to control allowing for less missed days at work. Her employer says she has become her "right hand of support" for the company. Opportunities and advancement in her career are now a possibility and her future looks bright. "Life is now accessible to me. I have found a new freedom that a cab or bus ride could never provide."
From huge life challenges, Cerebral Palsy, Abuse, Self Rescue, Homelessness to Entrepreneur.
She just needs her "Keys to Success"...
Tori has faced BIG challenges her whole life but she has never let them hold her back. Her father passed away when she was only 18-months old, leaving her mom a widow at just 23. Then barely 6 months later she was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.
Tori has been an entrepreneur since she started Utoria, at 14 years old. Her entrepreneurial spirit came from watching her mom struggle and fight her way out of poverty. Seeing her mother doing everything she could to afford the best possible treatments, by getting a great job at a local college and starting her own accounting firm in her (very little) spare time.
Eventually her mother remarried and had her little brother Logan, who was diagnosed with autism. After a while it became apparent that her stepfather was abusive. At the age of 17 she set a goal to generate enough profits to move her mom and brother away from their abuser to paradise, aka Tampa Bay Florida. But their abuser had a tighter grip on her mother than she could have ever imagined. Her mom turned on her in support of her abusive husband. Her mother took all of her belongings, including her phone and laptop, cleared out all her bank accounts and also kicked her out of their home.
Tori was homeless for about 6 weeks and struggled with the deepest, darkest depression she had ever experienced. Extreme financial struggle and severe malnutrition eventually led to her collapsing and experiencing the first seizure she had ever had.
"Rebuilding from the ground up has been the biggest challenge that I've faced yet but I am so extremely grateful for the experience and determined to overcome! I am on a mission to not only bounce back to where I was, but to exceed and surpass that to grow even bigger, better, more impactful businesses than ever before."
Now Tori is rebuilding her life as a 19 year old entrepreneur and most recently founded VOLT, a push communications SaaS agency. A Wheels of Success "New to Her" reliable vehicle will give her, her "Keys to Success" by enabling her to attend meetings, events and other business obligations needed to grow her business.
At Wheels of Success we often say the vehicles we provide, offers our clients their "Key to Success". This is very true for Teresa; she worked as a nurse for 23 years earning $15$18 an hr until she was left without reliable transportation. Without a reliable vehicle she is currently working at a factory only earning $9 an hr with 3 children to support. Unable to afford an apartment, she and her children are now living in a shelter.
Before receiving his Wheels' vehicle Michael, a dedicated, hardworking veteran took 3 buses, spending over 2.5 hrs. getting to work. Struggling to get to work in order to support his family took its toll in terms of stress and lack of confidence. Riding the bus for so many hours a day left little quality time to spend with his family.
Diana has 3 beautiful children and works as a respiratory therapist at a local hospital making transportation an extreme challenge for her without her own vehicle. As a respiratory therapist, her hours don't always coincide with the local bus schedules.
Tory through her dedication and hard work has completed our 1 year program by making her monthly $125 payments and volunteer hours. Now Tory has earned the title to her "New to Her" 2009 Toyota Camry donated by State Farm that is still running strong.
When Tory received her vehicle from Wheels of Success it was not just about getting to work but also the ability to see her sons who did not live with her. She is a hard worker and has always been, never missing a day of work despite previously relying on public transportation. Along with her fierce determination to succeed, her vehicle is her primary Key to Success. Having a reliable vehicle enabled her to advance in her career; she is now a fully licensed insurance agent working for one of Tampa's top agencies and doing well. Her 2009 Toyota Camry also grew her relationship with her sons. Thanks to her Wheels she is able not only able to visit them, she can also take them places and spend quality time with them.
Tanya (not her real name to protect her identity) currently resides in a residential program for young girls that are victims of human trafficking. They provide her with basic necessities, as well as treatment for alcohol and drug abuse. Through their Vocational Rehabilitation Services, she has landed a life changing position as an apprentice with a local florist. She works alongside their top designers creating everything from simple nosegays to intricate, formal arrangements.
"The vehicle from Wheels of Success has blessed our family so much. My husband is able to work extra shifts. My 4 year old daughter and I no longer need to cross 60/Brandon Blvd. to make our bus from school to home. She can ride in the car to school, church, museum days, birthday parties, and sleep overs. We no longer have to walk to the grocery store with our stroller or pay for Uber. We can drive to Dr. Appts saving missed time from work. I can stay for late parent teacher conference night's or meetings and drive home without worrying about how I will get home in the dark.