December 4, 2002

WOW program key to solving transportation woes

Goodwill's Workers on Wheels sees increase in donations due to slumping used car trade in market
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
       When you're 20 years old, homeless and a single mother of two children, it can be hard to get life on track.
      Manasa Thurman, however, is doing just that, with some help from area human service agencies.
      After staying in the Goodwill Inn Homeless Shelter for three weeks last March, Thurman has been living in an apartment, holding down a job and looking ahead to college.
      However, she still faced an insurmountable barrier: transportation. Shopping, getting to work, going to job interviews took her hours of effort and planning; she often wound up walking with two little girls in tow.
      "It was not too far to the grocery store, only two or three miles of walking," she said. "In the summertime it didn't bother me, I'd just get the wagon and pull the girls in it. For major shopping trips I would coordinate with neighbors or sometimes had to pay cabs."
      Three weeks ago, Thurman received a huge boost in her quest for a better life for her and her two daughters: a 1992 Saturn. The car was donated to Goodwill's Workers on Wheels program and Thurman's name finally made it to the top of the list after a seven-month wait.
      The new owner had a smile a mile-wide when program director David Abeel handed her the keys.
      "It is so stressful not to have a car," Thurman said. "Now that I have a car I have more confidence."
      The Workers on Wheels program is a four-year-old endeavor that matches donated used cars with needy families. The program has placed more than 400 cars in the 19-county service area of northern Michigan.
      "The whole purpose of the program is to keep people on the job or give them the possibility for job advancement if they can solve their transportation problem," Abeel said, noting all donated cars undergo basic service before being released to clients.
      "People who have a job and are pretty low wage earners, it is harder to make ends meet and when their car dies it is a tremendous dilemma for them," he noted. "The introduction of a car that will have at least 30,000-40,000 miles on it is a godsend."
      A Workers on Wheels recipient pays for car insurance and any registration fees. In addition, the program puts a six-month lien on the car so it cannot be sold in that time. Recipients also complete a basic car maintenance and safety training course prior to taking ownership.
      Abeel said that finding enough cars to meet demand is a problem. However, the program has been helped this year by low interest rates that are luring people into automobile showrooms. This trend, coupled with a low reimbursements from car dealers for used cars, has brought more cars into the Workers on Wheels program.
      "People are finding it makes more sense to donate their used car and take a deduction," Abeel said. "We wish we had twice as many cars, though, that is really our main dilemma."
      Thurman's car is giving her time to think about college and a future that is more than just surviving day to day.
      "With a car, I can do so many more things and get a better job; I work at Mancino's now with great people but it is not a career," Thurman said. "I want to help others, because of all the people who have helped me; maybe be a grade school teacher, sign language interpreter or a social worker."
      With her life now on track, Thurman can reflect on her past, which included numerous hardships.
      Abandoned by her father and raised by a mother who struggled with dual addictions to crack cocaine and alcohol, Thurman was just 14 when she had her first baby. Despite having a second child shortly thereafter, Thurman stayed in school and graduated from Evert Public Schools in 2000 as the class valedictorian.
      "It was really hard, getting up for school, getting the girls dressed, coming home and taking care of them and waiting until they went to sleep to do my homework," Thurman recalled. "My mom, who is now doing really well, was struggling with addiction issues and couldn't help me."
      Thurman, a native of Jackson, moved to Traverse City last spring, drawn by the area's natural beauty and determined to continue on a positive path.
      "The people are nice up here and I do a lot better," Thurman said. "I get to drive by the Bay every day when I go home."