Nonprofits test transportation solutions for families on the edge
Working families of the Sarasota-Manatee area are not alone with transportation challenges.
Before the current car shortages, some communities in other parts of the country found innovative solutions. In one example in Minneapolis, a nonprofit partnered with a technical school, where supervised auto mechanic trainees worked on donated cars that were then gifted to working single mothers.
Shauna Donahue, industrial program manager at Suncoast Technical College in Sarasota, said she could foresee such an arrangement with the school’s automotive program and its dual-enrollment high school and young adult students. But for liability reasons it would need a nonprofit to take charge and provide an off-site location where the repairs could take place.
Another model exists just to the north.
Where do we go?: Sarasota seniors worry when even 'affordable' housing costs spike
Wheels of Success formed about 20 years ago and now serves Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties. But last year, as prices of used cars soared and donations of vehicles for working families decreased, the agency had to pivot, said CEO and founder Susan Jacobs.
While Wheels of Success long had tackled small repairs like brake jobs, now a larger amount of the money it raises funds major renovations to help participants maintain a functioning car. (The agency's motto is “Working Wheels Keep Families Working.”)
“Now we’re doing engines and transmissions,” Jacobs said. “Even if we put $3,000 into a car to keep it on the road, you can’t buy a car for that money.”
Wheels of Success partners with trusted private mechanics, who charge discounted prices. Program participants pay a portion of the repairs – interest-free installments are allowed – and must attend a car care class; be referred from a social service agency, church or employer; and meet other requirements.
“We have been seriously doing a lot of repairs, and I don’t see that changing for awhile,” Jacobs said. Wheels of Success is so busy it doesn't advertise.
Could it expand to Sarasota and Manatee counties?
Jacobs said she would be very interested. But, she added, the effort would need a local nonprofit or foundation to spearhead the funding of start-up costs, including hiring additional staff to coordinate logistics and a network of trusted area mechanics.
She knows the desperation is real.
“It’s really, really sad, and it’s worse now because there are no cars,” she said. “It’s a really awful place to be -- the stories we hear and the people calling, especially if you can’t help them.”
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Nonprofits assist Sarasota-Manatee people with car help
