Wheeling for Work

A lot of us fail to realize just how many decent families are out there living day to day, barely scraping by, a mere paycheck away from being homeless. While this very real phenomenon covers pretty much all low-income families, the recession has stretched the scope to include much of the middle class. Whether by making bad decisions or just plain bad luck, we get stuck in impossible ruts, and the thing that often prevents otherwise hardworking Americans from getting off public assistance and becoming productive members of society, is the lack of a good dependable car. And it may seem dumb to those who have never been there, but for many people it's impossible to pull together the money necessary to buy one.

The Good News Mountaineer Garage understands how tough it can be, and this week it celebrated giving its 1,000th car to a family in need. Since 1999, the Huntington, W.V., nonprofit  has been taking donated vehicles, repairing them, then handing the keys to cash-strapped Americans. During a Monday ceremony, Shawnette Berryard, a Huntington mother of two sons, received a 1991 Mazda minivan, which was donated by Don Williams, a part-time professor at Marshall University.

"We are thrilled to be giving away our 1,000th car and helping a mother pursue her career as an LPN," said Executive Director Barbara Bayes to WSAZ News.

With funding from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services, the Good News Mountaineer Garage gives away about 15 cars per month to families in similar situations. According to their website, "The program has helped more than 500 families become self-supporting. A follow-up study found that one year after receiving a GNMG vehicle: 70% of families went off public assistance, 80% were working, and 13% were in job training."

If you or someone you know has a vehicle to donate that either runs or needs very minor repairs, click here for a full list of similar car donation programs across America. And don't forget, your donation qualifies you for a tax deduction based on the car's fair market value.