Jessica's Story
Jessica is a single mother with three young
children, two of whom are in diapers. When
she left an abusive situation, she sought assistance
through CASA (Community Action Stops Abuse).
Jessica
dreamed of a better life for herself and her
children, and with help from CASA,
she began to believe in herself and in her
dreams of become totally independent. Because
one of the tools of independence is having
reliable transportation, CASA referred
Jessica to Wheels of Success.
Before receiving
her car from Wheels of Success, Jessica would
have to take three different buses, starting
at 6:00 am to get to her job at State Farm
Insurance two hours later. Since
she would have to leave early in the morning,
she was dependent on a friend to care for her
children each morning and to take them to daycare.
Most days, Jessica's friend picked her
kids up as well.
Simple things most people take
for granted were very challenging. Going
to the grocery store or keeping doctor’s
appointments would require long bus rides with
three small children in tow. Sometimes, even
though money was tight, Jessica would pay people
to give her rides.
"Now that I have a vehicle I don’t
have to depend on anyone. I take my children
to daycare, go to the grocery store and doctor’s
appointments without having to depend on
anyone or have to take several hours off
work. I have been able to continue
my education by gaining other insurance licensing
to further my career and was recently promoted
to a sales position. Having a car has
also given me the opportunity to spend quality
time with my kids rather than spending all
of our extra time on the bus."
Jessica
is looking forward to what the future holds
for herself and her children. She
is advancing in her career and has goals to
eventually own an insurance agency.
"Thank you, Susan Jacobs and staff,
for making a difference in my life and helping
me to be fully independent." |
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.