Most of us take transportation and housing for granted. But for the people we serve in our Homeless to Housing program, routine activities like going to work, buying groceries, or visiting a doctor require significant planning and hours of travel time on public transportation.
Daniel Moon understands this better than most. This formerly homeless Army Veteran was living in a shelter with his two sons, aged 13 and 17. In Community Link’s Homeless to Housing program for Veterans he was able to move into a permanent home, and even found not one but two full-time jobs so he can sustain this housing on his own once his time in the program ends.
Getting to these jobs is a huge challenge, one that eats up hours of every day, time he could be spending with his sons. So when Moon’s Community Link social worker, Nyesha Mendoza, heard about a program looking for deserving nominees to receive a car she nominated him.
The National Auto Body Council’s Recycled RidesTM program was created to help people like Moon. Having a car will make a profound difference in his life, and could help lift his family to a new level of economic independence.
Recycled Rides receives donations of damaged but repairable vehicles, often from car rental companies or insurance companies. A NABC member auto body shop volunteers to repair the vehicle, seeking donations from other vendors for parts and supplies. The vehicle is then donated to a recipient nominated by a recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit. The recipient is required to be someone who can responsibly insure, register, maintain, and operate the vehicle.
Mr. Moon was presented with his Honda CRV at the Service King collision center in Concord, NC.
Watch the video below for a conversation between Mr. Moon and his Community Link social worker, Nyesha.