ATLANTA — Thousands of single moms in metro Atlanta are survivors of addiction, domestic abuse, or homelessness. Now a nonprofit is helping provide some stability by offering reliable transportation.
The Give Rides program has gifted more than 90 donated vehicles to single moms in need. The most recent recipient, Ashley Wilson, said she was connected with the nonprofit after years of struggling with addiction.
“I struggled with alcohol and relationships that I shouldn't have been in," she said. "You fight so hard to get that next fix that high or whatever and you end up with nothing. Having to look at my kids and know that I wasn't doing them right was really, really hard.”
About a year and a half ago, Wilson said she realized she’d hit rock bottom.
“I knew that if I didn't get help, my kids were not going to have me anymore," she said. "For anybody who's struggling with addiction or anything like that, if you have any fight left, just that last fight to try to get the help you need.”
Wilson took that last bit of fight to get sober and find steady work. But her car served consistent setbacks.
“An overpriced car that has put me on the side of more than three or four times and still having to make payments on it," she explained. "I literally get in my car with my kids, cross my fingers and hope I make it. My AC went out. I would literally take my kids inside a gas station or the grocery store just to get us to cool off because I was worried about them getting overheated."
She eventually connected with Heirborn Servants, the nonprofit that runs the Give Rides program, which connects struggling single moms with reliable transportation in the form of rideshare assistance or donated vehicles.
Heirborn Servants said its program works - and data proves it. But it's the stories of the moms that take the wheel that keep the program running.
Barbara Parker is the client success advocate for Heirborn Servants.
For her, the mission is personal. Parker was introduced to the nonprofit as one of the first recipients of a vehicle.
“I've (been) a recipient, a donor, and now employee," she said. "There's a lot of resources out there but when it comes to the gift of transportation, there's none."
She said having a vehicle and being able to get around is a blessing society sometimes society takes for granted.
"It's the world," she said. "It's a whole level of another level of freedom, independence.”
Last week, Wilson was gifted with a new vehicle. Christian Brothers Automotive, one of the program's corporate partners, fixed up the donated vehicle and ensured it would run smoothly for Wilson and her kids.
“The best thing I could ever done was reach my hand and ask for help," Wilson said. "Every woman and every person is worth fighting for. It wasn’t easy. But I’m here now.”
To date, Give Rides has gifted 91 cars, impacting 1,861 women and children in metro Atlanta.