Success Story: Gillian
From Applicant to Employee
Gillian is a single mother in Pinellas County and while most of her kids have grown up, she started over with her son, Brandon who is 7 years old. He is the light of her life and her whole world but struggles with autism and has special therapeutic needs. Without a vehicle she had to depend on friends and her older children for rides EVERYWHERE. She could not stand being a burden on anyone, every time she had to ask her friends and family for rides it caused her a lot of anxiety. She had no choice as the rides were needed to get to work or get necessities like groceries when she couldn’t get there by bus. Although she was working full time, without Wheels of Success it would have been impossible for her to get a vehicle due to her having poor credit, as well as no money for a down payment and high monthly car payments. Her finances already stretched to the max providing special therapy and all the extra needs that a child with autism requires.
Gillian is a very giving person and always a good friend, wanting to do nice things for all of those around her. As a Wheels of Success applicant she saw our organization’s needs and wanted to help. She came in for countless hours on many Saturdays, despite needing to obtain rides every time. Our CEO saw her organizational skills, passion and willingness to go the extra mile and talked to her about a position with Wheels of Success. In order to take the position she would need a reliable vehicle, especially since she lives in Pinellas County and Wheels of Success’ office is in Tampa. She was presented with her “New to Her” 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer earlier this month and now has her “Keys to Success”. The vehicle was made possible due through a grant from Bank of America Foundation, expanding Wheels of Success’ programs in Pasco and Pinellas Counties. She is now working for Wheels of Success and is happy she gets to help other families like her get vehicles they desperately need to get to work and maintain their independence.