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Local
auto
dealers
make car
donations
to aid
Detroit
families
in need
DETROIT
- Local
automotive
dealers
Bill
Perkins
Automotive
Group (Merollis
& Taylor
Chevrolet)
and
Feldman
Automotive
Group (7
metro-area
dealerships)
have
recently
made
generous
donations
to
support
Vehicles
for
Change –
Detroit
(VFC-D).
Perkins
donated
nine
vehicles
and
Feldman
donated
approximately
$25,000
of
automotive
service
equipment
for VFC-D’s
mechanics-training
program.
VFC-D
makes
awards
of
donated
vehicles
to
qualifying
low-income
individuals
that
need a
car to
travel
to/from
employment
and
perform
daily
functions,
such as
taking
children
to
daycare,
school,
recreation
and
athletic
activities.
It also
trains
future
automotive
mechanics
through
its
Center
for
Automotive
Careers.
For
low-income
families
across
Michigan,
transportation
may be a
significant
hurdle
in
finding
gainful
employment
and
moving
into
economic
self-sufficiency.
Indeed,
employers
cite
transportation
problems
as the
second-most
common
reason
for
losing
entry-level
workers.
The need
for
assistance
is
undeniable
in the
Detroit
metropolitan
area. In
2012,
twenty-six
percent
(26%) of
Detroit
households
did not
own a
car,
according
to
University
of
Michigan
Transportation
Research
Institute,
and the
statistics
have not
dramatically
changed.
“Typical
recipients
are
traveling
by
public
transportation
and
walking
an
average
of 2-3
hours
each
day”
said
Teresa
McFadden,
Operations
Director
–
Vehicles
For
Change.
“Recipients
working
to take
care of
children
and
family
must be
met with
less
harsh
travel
conditions.”
Another
critical
component
of VFC-Detroit’
s
program
services
is its
Center
for
Automotive
Careers,
which
trains
underemployed
members
of the
community
as paid
interns
at its
auto
repair
shop.
Interns
receive
hands-on
instruction
as well
as
Michigan
and
national
Automotive
Service
Excellence
(ASE)
certification
training
Bill
Perkins,
owner of
Bill
Perkins
Automotive
Group in
suburban
Detroit,
was
named
Black
Enterprise
auto
dealer
of the
year in
part for
his role
as
chairman
of the
2012
Detroit
auto
show.
Marla &
Jay
Feldman
have
been
long
time
charitable
supporters
of
Vehicles
for
Change-Detroit
and our
local
communities.
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