WHAT:
In honor of Veteran’s Day, Gov. Wes Moore, who served as a Captain in the U.S. Army, will join Heritage | MileOne Autogroup and nonprofit Vehicles for Change along with Maryland Secretary of Veteran Affairs Anthony C. Woods and Maryland Secretary of Labor Portia Y. Wu to present cars to ten local individuals who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
Including this upcoming event, since partnering with Vehicles for Change in 2017, MileOne Autogroup has donated more than 200 vehicles total, valued at over $1.5 million, to be awarded to families in need of transportation at a low cost. In addition to its donations, MileOne Autogroup has hired 12 auto technicians through Vehicles for Change’s Full Circle Training Program, which offers re-entry opportunities for ex-offenders and those facing underemployment or unemployment.
Heritage | MileOne Autogroup and Vehicles for Change share a strong belief in the transformative power of transportation. Providing access to transportation empowers individuals by enabling them to conveniently reach their workplaces, educational institutions, grocery stores, and healthcare facilities. It also grants them the ability to engage in community, family and social activities.
In March 2022, MileOne Autogroup launched MileOneCares, its corporate giving program that encompasses all its philanthropic efforts, primarily focused on transportation-related initiatives such as its partnership with Vehicles for Change. Founded in 1999, Vehicles for Change has empowered low-income families to achieve economic and personal independence by providing them with access to transportation.
RECIPIENTS:
- Brenda Jones, of Baltimore County, served in the U.S. Army and is currently pursuing a career as a nurse. Her vehicle will allow her to achieve this dream as well as to spend more time with her grandchildren.
- Natasha Thompson, of Baltimore County, is an Air Force Veteran who currently has many of her meals delivered, which is very expensive. WIth her car, she will be able to more easily access the grocery store.
- Robert Newell, of Cecil County, served in the U.S. Army and is thrilled to not have to wait for the bus anymore. With his car, he can seek more employment opportunities.
- Maurice Davis, of Baltimore County, is an Army Veteran who will now be able to get to work, school and to his medical appointments at the VA Hospital with his car.
- Paul Carrington, Army Sgt Veteran, will use his car to pursue more a demanding career, with positions of higher salaries and increased responsibilities. He will also be able to visit family members that he has not seen and also attend all medical appointments at the Veterans Administration Hospital.
- David Sanders, of Cecil County, is a Coast Guard Veteran and is looking forward to the convenience of having a car so he can get to work easily. To celebrate the award of his car, he plans to go to South Carolina to visit his family.
- Yul Hicks, of Baltimore County, served in the U.S. Navy and plans to use his car to explore employment opportunities. He will also now be able to assist his daughter who is a single mother, he looks forward to driving his grandchildren around.
- Chevene McLemore, of Prince George County, is also a Navy Veteran. She has shared that her car will give her the mobility and autonomy she needs to rebuild her life. Having a car will help her reconnect with her family, who she can visit more easily.
- Jaun Hayes, of Gaithersburg, served in the Army for seven years and the Air Force for two years. Getting a vehicle is essential for his hour-long work commute. This car will provide ease to his family of five children.
- Darius Tabrizi served in the Navy for four year as an Aviation Machinist Mate and now resides in Anne Arundel County. He is thrilled to receive this car as it will help him get a better job and the freedom he deserves to travel as he wants.
WHEN/WHERE:
Friday, November 10, 2023
Program: 2:00 p.m.
Heritage Toyota Owings Mills
9801 Reisterstown Road, Owings Mills, MD 21117
SPEAKERS
- Gov. Wes Moore, State of Maryland
- Anthony C. Woods, Maryland Secretary of Veteran Affairs
- Amanda Kodeck, Chief Giving Officer, MileOne Autogroup
- Marty Schwartz, President, Vehicles for Change
- Scott Fader, Chief Operating Officer, MileOne Autogroup
- Brenda Jones, Veteran Recipient
About MileoneCares:
Since MileOne’s founding in 1997, the company has donated funds, volunteer hours and vehicles to hundreds of nonprofit organizations throughout the communities it serves. Their key component is giving back to the community. With the launch of the MileOneCares corporate giving program, the company primarily focuses its philanthropic outreach on transportation-related initiatives. MileOneCares also supports the company’s 3,900 employees through the NextMile Scholarship Program; the MileOne Support Fund, which provides financial assistance in times of disaster or emergency hardship; and an employee-nominated grant program, in which employees can apply for funds to support causes to which they are personally connected. For more information on the program, visit www.mileonecares.com.
About MileOne Autogroup:
MileOne Autogroup represents 76 franchises with 25 automotive brands along with 54 Service Centers in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina as part of the Hall, Heritage, Herb Gordon, Annapolis and MotorWorld divisions. The MileOne Autogroup model provides for all of the automotive needs of its customers conveniently, on their own terms. MileOne Autogroup is the largest automotive sales and service delivery network in the Mid-Atlantic area. For more information on MileOne, visit www.mileone.com.
About Vehicles for Change (VFC):
VFC is an innovative nonprofit organization that accepts and repairs donated cars and provides reliable transportation to worthy families while offering valuable automotive technician training to those in need. VFC has empowered more than 6,800 low-income families across Maryland, Virginia, and Michigan, to achieve economic and personal independence, for over 24 years. Cars are awarded at a low cost to qualified individuals who apply through social service partnering agencies. Through the Full Circle Auto Repair and Training Center, VFC works with ex-offenders and under/unemployed individuals, trains them to become Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)-certified mechanics, and places them in meaningful employment opportunities. VFC’s Full Circle Auto Repair and Training Center is a full-service automotive garage—a social enterprise that funds the mission of the organization and provides discounted service with a labor rate that is almost 30% less than most repair shops in the area. For additional information about Vehicles for Change, or to donate a vehicle, visit www.vehiclesforchange.org or call 855-820-7990.
