News from the Tennessee Valley

The Decatur Daily

 MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 2002

Decatur mom thrilled with '90 auto provided by 'Caring Cars' program

By Patrice Stewart
DAILY Staff Writer
pstewart@decaturdaily.com

She got her first car last week, and she's on the road to success.  Sherine Hill is not a 16-year-old whose parents bought a car for her birthday. She's a 26-year-old mother of two who is working hard to provide for them -- with a little help from her friends at Parents and Children Together.

 DAILY Photo by Corey Wilson

Sherine Hill of Decatur, a 26-year-old mother of two, is the first recipient in the "Caring Cars" program of Family Services Center of Huntsville.

Hill is PACT's first recipient in the "Caring Cars" program of Family Services Center of Huntsville.  PACT's Hand-in-Hand employment assistance program staff members helped her apply for a car and are working with her to find automobile insurance and get her license plate so she can hit the road.  On her first outing, the Decatur mom plans to take 4-year-old Antoine and 3-year-old Paris to a park.

And now she'll be able to drive them to their day-care center and go on to her job in the kitchen at Holiday Inn. She's had to rely on taxicabs, friends and relatives until now.

"She's so excited -- she walked over here after work to see her car when it arrived," said Hand-in-Hand program manager Angela Henderson. "You're going to be on the road now, girl, on your days off. Where will you go first?" she asked Hill.  "My kids have been hollering about going to the park, so I guess I'll drive them to Delano or Adventure Park. And I'll go show off my car to my sister and others, and when I get Sunday off, I'll drive to church," Hill said.  You're still going to work, right?" joked Tarrian Franklin, Hand-in-Hand project assistant.

For work, GED classes

She and caseworker Tammy Anderson also reminded Hill that she'd be able to drive to GED preparation classes and other PACT-sponsored programs. She dropped out of Lawrence County High School before earning her diploma.   "During the past year, her children's opportunities were limited, too, because we couldn't work out the time and transportation problems," said Anderson, but the car will make it possible for them to participate in activities and for Hill to go to Head Start parent meetings.

Hill's "new" car is a 1990 maroon Buick LeSabre with 150,000 miles and a dented bumper, but it will make the trips to work and school.  Family Services Center started the "Caring Cars" program through which cars in reasonably good condition can be donated and recipients screened and chosen.

'Caring Cars' deductible

For older models, the tax deduction may be worth more than the trade-in value. For pickup of a donated car, call the FSC Huntsville office at (256) 551-1610 or toll-free at (866) 551-1610. The FSC's Ways to Work program also offers car loans for eligible low-income parents.

Henderson said the car for Hill came from Huntsville because none from Decatur have been donated.

"The cars that are donated in Morgan County will stay in Morgan County," she said.  "Sherine is just the first of several of our participants who will be getting cars."  Eaton Hydraulics of Decatur is working with the program to help make the cars drive- able.

Henderson said the Hand-in-Hand program, with 79 active participants, offers job training and placement, counseling, education, and family and life management skills.  "Sherine is one of our success stories, and we expect great things in her life," said Henderson.  For Hill, who earlier worked at SunBridge Care & Rehabilitation, this is the second time in the Hand-in-Hand program. She went to New York to see her relatives, and when she returned in January, she found her apartment at Stonegate Village had caught fire, and she had lost all her furniture and belongings.

Starting over

She called PACT and started over, finding a new apartment and gathering furnishings.  She was in its readiness classes, and program funds helped pay for the taxi rides to work.

"Sherine has made great strides in her employment skills, and her supervisor says she is very dependable and hard-working," Henderson said.  "She has also worked hard at improving their home and made great progress in her parenting skills."  Hill did not have a driver license when she entered the Hand-in-Hand program.  Workers referred her to the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services for driving lessons.

Donated Cars
for
Job Transportation

© 2007 Family Services Center - Huntsville, AL