More than 300 hundred students from École secondaire catholique E.J. Lajeunesse have been involved in the program to date, from business to culinary, and most notably, the automotive classes that led the repairs on the donated vehicles.
Two families are given a second chance with a one-time gift of a donated used vehicle from Rebuilding Wheels Rebuilding Lives
On Wednesday, March 21, 2018, two local families drove away from Benson Auto Parts in donated vehicles, thanks to the partners of the Rebuilding Wheels Rebuilding Lives team. The vehicles donated at the key exchange event were donated to families of Shawn Barton and April Quinton.
Shawn maintains fulltime employment but no longer had a reliable vehicle for his family, including his 5 year-old son, Mason. Facing financial difficulties after a battle with cancer 4 years ago, Shawn was not able to afford the repairs on his previous vehicle. After receiving his newly repaired used vehicle, Shawn and his family will now be able to commute safely.
April, a single mother of two young children, Dominic and Luka, has to balance part-time employment and getting her children to school. The vehicle will help April to obtain her full license and work more hours.
“Access to transportation is a significant issue for many people in our community,” says United Way CEO, Lorraine Goddard. “This creates substantial challenges for many individuals and their families who are living in low-income, especially if they are seeking to gain or maintain employment.”
Nine vehicles have been donated to families in need through Rebuilding Wheels Rebuilding Lives.
“We are grateful to work alongside the partners of Rebuilding Wheels Rebuilding Lives,” says Aaron Habib, Benson Auto Parts. “Being able to provide a hand-up in the community is something we’re all very proud of.”
“Rebuilding Wheels Rebuilding Lives provides real world, hands-on experience in the classroom setting for our students. It helps them understand the importance of contributing to our local community and the impact they can have on the lives of others.” – Thomas Couvillion, Directeur at E.J. Lajeunesse
Applications for vehicles are received through Family Services Windsor-Essex, and those who qualify will receive a repaired used vehicle at no cost.
To learn more about the program, or for those who are interested in applying can learn more on United Way’s website.
This program would not be possible without the support and partnership of:
