Maria's
Story
Homeless Female Veteran Gets Wheels
 Maria
L was driving a Chevy Lumina she
had purchased from a friend for $500. She was
putting too much money into the car to keep
it in the road. That's
when Maria heard about Wheels of Success through Genesis, a
counseling agency that assists with credit management and ultimately was referred
to Wheels through the Homeless Female Veterans' Program.
A veteran and security officer working
on the docks at the Tampa Port Authority for
the past three years, Maria has to
be ready to report to work at any hour of the
day. She credits the Toyota Camry she
received through Wheels as having saved her
job. Says Maria, "I'm 45 years
old; I have an associates degree in early childhood
education. It would be nice if I could
go back to college. But right now, it's
one step at a time. Step one definitely was
safe transportation. I'm so grateful
to Wheels because, without them, I wouldn't
have been able to keep my job."
UPDATE: Maria is
living in her own apartment and earned her
title in June 2009! She has turned to us
since then for assistance with repairs needed
to her vehicle. |
Wheels
of Success is Tampa Bay's only 501(c)3 nonprofit organization
providing a full range of transportation solutions, including
vehicle replacement; car repair; and licensing, car payment and
down payment assistance to low and moderate income working families.