Success Stories
When Carmen was referred to Wheels of Success, she was was recovering from a surgery that left her unable to work for several months. Her time away from work resulted in the loss of her vehicle. Upon return to work after initial recovery, Carmen's biggest challenge was transportation. Carmen found it virtually impossible to meet the demands of traveling to/from work, her children's school and continued medical needs for her recovery.
When Monica was referred to Wheels of Success, she was living with her young children at one of Metropolitan Ministries' shelters. Through hard work and determination, Monica completed the program and went on to obtain a job with Laser Spine Institute. Transportation enabled Monica to be reliable which resulted in a promotion and salary increase. Monica was able to spend more time with her children at school activities and to visit with family outside of the Tampa Bay area.
Can ONE vehicle change the life of an individual? Just ask LaDelma. Above is when she received her vehicle 2 years ago.
Amanda's life has changed dramatically since getting the keys to her 2007 Chevy Impala, which she could not have afforded without Wheels for Success. Having a reliable vehicle has allowed Amanda to focus her energies on exceeding in her career instead of how she was going to pay for car repairs. She recently received a promotion, which she attributes to her new less stressful lifestyle and improved reliability at work.
Andrea's life has dramatically changed since she received her car. Having spent most of her young life in the foster care system, Andrea worked as a Youth Coordinator helping clients who were aging out of foster care system. During her time as a Youth Coordinator, Ready For Life, a Wheels of Success community service partner, submitted her application for a car.
As an employee of MacDonald Training Center, it was hard for Britani to be at work early in the morning and then get to school in the evenings. Even though she was only a 20 minute drive from MacDonald, it took her two busses and over an hour to get there each day. After another bus to school, Britani often had to walk several miles home because services ended before she could reach her destination.
"When I was 12, I couldn't imagine the journey I would soon take in my life. Nothing will erase that dreadful day that took place in November 2002. From that day on, I faced joy, neglect, abuse, and many bittersweet moments in foster care. There were times I was separated from my little sisters and wanted nothing more than to be reunited with them and be happy. There were times when I was forced to eat from a trash can, times where I was forced to beat my little sisters, and times when I was forced to watch them get hit by our caregiver. These things cross my mind everyday, but they've made me so strong beyond belief.
Martinique is a single mother who is working hard to make a better life for herself and her three children.
Coming of age in the foster care system with no family standing by to provide support when starting life on your own is challenging--especially without reliable transportation.
After losing her home, Honor moved to Florida to start over to make a better life for herself and her three daughters. She was offered a good job with a pharmaceutical company, but it was on the opposite side of town.