Jamie’s Success Story – 10 Years in the Driver’s Seat

It’s amazing how much life can change in 10 years. In 2014, Jamie had just given birth to her second child, a boy, and was struggling to make ends meet. A low-paying job at McDonald’s was the best she could do without having access to a reliable car. The job was on the bus line, so it was one of the few places she could reliably commute to and from without depending on anyone else.

As a single parent, Jamie was participating in Reach Up, a program run by the State of Vermont’s Department for Children and Families (DCF). The mission of Reach Up is to “join families on their journey to overcome obstacles, explore opportunities, improve their finances, and reach their goals.” Through a partnership with us at Good News Garage, Reach Up helps families obtain refurbished donated cars so that they can get to important places, like work, school, and doctor’s appointments. As a hard-working single mom in need of reliable transportation, Jamie submitted an application for a donated car.

After a short while, Jamie got the call of a lifetime. Good News Garage wanted to let her know that a donated Honda Odyssey minivan had been repaired and was ready to usher her growing family into a new chapter of their lives. Jamie was ecstatic! On a warm September day, she visited Good News Garage’s Burlington, VT office and signed some paperwork. Moments later, she found herself in the driver’s seat of her new minivan!

Jamie poses in 2014 with the donated Honda Odyssey she received from Good News Garage.

Jamie wrote the donor of her minivan a note explaining how she found herself in dire need of transportation. “I bought a car from a dealership a year and a half ago and it has broken down on me beyond repair,” she said. “I was in a bind and didn’t have a safe vehicle to transport me and my two kids. Thank you so much for donating your car.”

The spacious minivan was exactly what Jamie’s family needed to keep moving forward in life.

Over the coming years, having access to a reliable car would make life much easier and allow Jamie to accomplish many goals. She completed courses at Vermont Technical College and became a Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA). This allowed her to obtain a better-paying job and made it easier to support her children. When her donated van succumbed to rust a few years later, she bought a newer car with money she saved. She then found a better job, continuing to advance her career as an LNA. Eventually, she even purchased her own home!

Jamie now has four children and says things are going well. “GNG definitely helps folks get back on their feet,” she said.

More Good News from GNG Car Recipients

Did you enjoy this article? If so, you may want to read more success stories from our car recipients.