Sofia Kasbo is an editorial intern for TODAY.com based in New Jersey. Sofia specializes in feature and breaking news coverage. She enjoys writing about what’s trending, pop-culture and news. Outside of the newsroom, Sofia can be found traveling, shopping, re-watching Gilmore Girls or with her bernedoodle, Ollie.
This Virginia auto shop is steering teens in the right direction. A group of students from Louisa County High School near Richmond, Virginia, are the magic makers who have been repairing used cars to gift to local single moms.
These students are enrolled in a special trade program where the school is partnering with a local non-profit, “Giving Words,' that fixes used cars and donates them to single moms at no cost. The charity was founded in 2018 by Eddie Brown and his wife, Ginny, who knew that single moms needed help with many things. 'What we learned was transportation was the first thing,' Brown said. 'Without transportation you don’t have access to a job, you don’t have access to education, you don’t have access to medical needs.' From there, the charity that started in Brown's driveway grew across the state with more than 60 donated cars received to date. And now, students Owen Yarrington and Stephen Smith are two of the students helping repair these donated cars. For Smith, this work isn't about the grade; however, there is pressure to ensure these vehicles are ready for people to operate. 'So it is a lot of pressure because you had to do it right and you have to make sure everything’s torqued to spec so nothing falls apart,' Smith said. Amid the high stakes, Smith said that he and Yarrington find joy in their work: 'It's a lot of fun too,' Smith said. The experience is also emotional for the students, seeing the large impact their work has on these moms firsthand. 'When they tear up and cry it makes you want to tear up and cry,' Yarrington said. The students are led by a teacher who once walked the same halls. Shane Robertson, an alumnus of the program, knew from his high school days that he wanted to be an auto teacher and recognizes the true meaning of a car. 'It’s not just a car,' Robertson said. 'It’s not just nuts and bolts. It’s literally the difference between someone making it and someone not.' One lucky woman, Jessica Williams, a single mother of three, was the next to enter the driver's seat with a new free car. Williams had been trying to provide for her family by working as a grocery store cashier, and now she's unlocking a new road to her future. 'I can further my education now,' Williams said. 'I can go to college, I can get a better job. Just all of it, more time with my family.' Williams also expressed her gratitude towards the hard-working hands that gifted her a new car. 'So many people had a part in this and I’ll never forget it,' Williams said.
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