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This winter, Bud's Warehouse and Belay Enterprises introduce the Good Neighbor Garage, an innovative Christ-centered program that seeks to provide cars to the disadvantaged in order to increase employment success.

The Good Neighbor Garage is accepting the donation of cars from Metro Area residents for its unique car placement program that aims to decrease poverty in our community. 

• Using area mechanics that are providing some of their services for free, this faith-based program will repair dependable car donations.
• These vehicles will be placed with urban single mothers and families needing a car in order to secure or improve employment.
• Later in 2004, the Good Neighbor Garage will repair the cars internally through a mechanic and automotive industry-training program for individuals rebuilding lives from addiction, prison, or homelessness."One of the biggest factors to employment success in the Denver Metro Area is whether a person has a car in order to get to work," says Marc Veldhuizen, Good Neighbor Garage Director. 

"For the best paying labor positions in our sprawling community, many employers require that workers have a car.  And when you throw in the necessity of child care for single mothers, a car becomes an absolute requirement for job success."

Veldhuizen notes that one of the chief advantages of donating cars to the Good Neighbor Garage is that "these cars will remain in our community, directly impacting lives by being provided to a real low-income family working for a better future."  Research evaluated by the National Economic Development and Law Center and the Ann E. Casey Foundation in the guide, Shifting Into Gear, shows that car ownership by low-income individuals results in more hours worked, increased earnings, as well as a decrease in dependency on welfare programs.

For the last five years, Veldhuizen has operated his own car program placing an average of 12 cars a year.  He seeks to grow that figure with The Good Neighbor Garage by providing 27 cars to families in 2004 while offering automotive services training to low-income individuals seeking skills for a self-sufficient future.  Veldhuizen hopes to expand the program to 70 cars in 2005.

Area churches, community groups, and nonprofit agencies will identify candidates for the Good Neighbor Car Placement program.  Interested individuals may also obtain an application from the Good Neighbor Garage.  In order to be eligible, people must be able to show need for a car in order to maintain or improve an employment situation.  They also are required to obtain insurance and pay a client fee that is a small fraction of the car's value.   

To donate a car or to learn more about the car placement program, please call Marc Veldhuizen at 720-941-5897 or email us at marc@goodneighborgarage.com.  The program also seeks the donation of automotive tools and mechanic's equipment.

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