This Spring, there is much to be thankful for as our weather warms, and there are hopeful signs of life returning to normal after a two-year pandemic.
The Loaves & Fishes CARES Car Program provides hope to individuals who lack reliable transportation to get to work with a donated vehicle to help them maintain their employment. Many of the individuals we serve do not have the option to work from home, so a reliable vehicle is critical because public transportation is limited in the suburbs.
Individuals in the car program go through financial fitness training to ensure they are prepared to take on the financial responsibilities of owning a car. This key component of the program is met through our collaboration with the financial coaches at H.O.M.E. DuPage.
While the mission of the car program is to help clients get to work, we recognize that giving clients reliable transportation enables them to meet other needs, such as going to doctor appointments, getting to the grocery store, and dropping off children at school. One car recipient said, “It is such a life-changing thing to be able to go back and forth to work and the grocery stores. We are so thankful and happy for this car.”
Unfortunately, a shortage of used vehicles in the car industry has resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of donated cars that Loaves & Fishes can repair and provide to individuals on our car waitlist. Even with the challenges of the pandemic, Loaves & Fishes was able to provide vehicles and keep our application process open.
Recently that changed when a lack of donated cars has led to the difficult decision to pause the application process, so we can provide vehicles to the individuals already on our car waitlist without dramatically increasing the wait time for a vehicle. We are so grateful to the donors who recently provided a car for our program and are hopeful more people will consider donating a car to Loaves & Fishes to help others maintain their employment.
