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Sometimes
a Little Reliable Expertise Can Get You on the Road
?Thelma
(name changed for privacy) moved to the Tampa Bay area because of a domestic
violence situation. She was able to bring her vehicle with her and quickly found
assistance with housing. Thelma will help anyone in need if she is able.
Unfortunately, while helping a fellow resident run errands, she was involved in
an accident and her car was totaled. Without a car, Thelma’s job search became
much more difficult but she did everything she could to get back on her feet and
regain her independence. She got up early to catch the bus so she could apply
for any job that was available. She accepted any job she could to make ends meet
until she found gainful employment. When Thelma began her new career, she
continued to ride the bus to and from work, but the busses often ran late or
were no longer running when she was done with her shift. To get to work on time,
she was forced to rely on Uber and Lyft which became expensive.
Thelma
was referred to Wheels of Success Inc. in April 2023 by the homeless shelter she
was living at. She attended our car care class in May and was put on the
waitlist for a “new to her” vehicle. Unfortunately, since the pandemic, there
has been a significant decrease in car donations, but that did not discourage
Thelma. She continued to work and save until she was able to purchase a low cost
vehicle since we did not have one available. However, her excitement was short
lived as she began to experience issues with her new vehicle. She took into an
auto shop to have it looked at and spent a good bit on trying to diagnose its
issues. After feeling like something was wrong and not getting a clear answer,
Thelma left her car parked. She went back to taking the bus and Uber and Lyft as
she works the night shift and it was not always safe for her to wait at the bus
stop, or possible to get to the bus before it stopped running. This left her in
the same position as she had been before purchasing the car she was fearful to
drive.
Thelma
eventually reached out to Wheels for some guidance. We scheduled a time to bring
her vehicle in for Harry, our vehicle coordinator, to test drive and to get
diagnostic testing a one of our shops. What was the diagnosis? Drive the car,
Thelma! She was told that leaving the car to sit for a prolonged period of time
can actually do a lot of damage to the car. Thelma left with instructions to
drive the car regularly, a smile on her face, and a follow up in 30 days to let
us know how the car is running. I am happy to report, the car is running well,
and Thelma has even used her a/c a few
times. |