My Nonprofit Reviews

Wheels of Success is a very unique program that keeps working families working by providing them with reliable, consistent transportation. This is not a hand-out, it is a hands-up: qualified working families take a car/credit care class, have to do 32 hours of community service with WOS, and pay a nominal amount every month for a year for their car. At the end of the year, if they are current, they get the title to their cars. The cars are donated and repaired to ensure safety and reliability. For the worker who has to take three buses to and from work and if one is late they get penalized, for the mother who can only purchase the food she can carry by hand that may not be enough to feed her family, for the parents who can't get their children to medical appointments or go to their sports games, and especially for those who are deemed unreliable at work because they are at the mercy of public transportation, this is a life line and opportunity to advance in their careers, take appropriate care of their families, and be contributing citizens in their communities. In several cases, as they advance in life and career, they in turn donate their car back to WOS as they now have credit and can buy a better, newer car - they pay it forward. This is a wonderful program. I have seen firsthand the impact this has on program participants.

This program was created by one woman, Susan Jacobs, 18 years ago. As the owner of a staffing company, she saw how hard it was for the people she placed to get to their assignments. She donated her own car to get the program started. To date, she has provided more than 1200 cars to working families to help keep them working. She relies on donated cars, donations for car repairs, and grants, to keep the wheels of her own organization moving forward. She is selfless and committed to ensuring that working families can keep working in the Tampa Bay area. This is an organization that everyone should support--it is all win-win-- for the participants, for employers, for the community.

This is the most amazing organization! One woman, Susan Jacobs, saw a need, had a vision and goal, and over the past 16 years has provided working families with more than 1000 new-to-them cars, all donated, all repaired to be safe and reliable, all enabling families to keep their jobs, get promotions, take their children to doctor appointments, buy groceries that can feed their entire family instead of only what can be carried home by hand. They can establish credit, get better homes. They are now contributing more fully to the local economy. They are referred by employers and social agencies. All cars are donated, all repairs are paid for through donations. This is a hand up, not a hand out--recipients pay a nominal amount for their car every month , take car care and financial responsibility classes, must do community service with the organization, and after one year receive the car title. This is hard work. It is inspiring work. The program focuses on four populations: veterans, those aging out of foster care, domestic violence victims, and caregivers. I am proud to have played a small role in helping to sustain and grow this worthy and unique organization. I have seen firsthand the difference this is making for so many families. Car presentations bring tears to the eyes, very moving to know a life has now been changed for the better.