SLAYDEN, Miss — A local non-profit is eliminating obstacles that leave people in the Memphis community vulnerable by providing free cars to people who need reliable transportation the most.
The Mid-South Hope Garage has only been around for a couple years, but it has already made a world of difference, and now it is getting some national help.
For Jeremy Brummer, the non-profit’s Executive Director, all it takes is a little faith and a whole lot of elbow grease to change someone’s life. Since 2020, the team has been taking a lifetime of talent to fix up old cars for a bigger purpose.
“I grew up with both my grandfathers and my father being mechanics. It came natural to me to have a mechanical background,” said Brummer.
Each car that comes out of the garage goes to someone who has found themselves in an unfortunate situation.
Often, car recipients are refugees, people experiencing homelessness, or victims of human trafficking. The garage has been trying to give families a new start in the Greater Memphis area, a place that has been notorious for limited transportation options.
“People that don’t have transportation are locked into their situation,” said Joanna Murray, who works in marketing at the Mid-South Hope Garage, “Be that the poverty cycle, an unhealthy dependence on relationships in their lives who can provide them that transportation. We’ve seen people lose their children to foster care because they can’t get them to school or can’t get them to those medical appointments.”
Now, national help is coming to the garage. AAA donated $10,000 to the non-profit, which can potentially be used to fix upwards of 20 additional cars.
“This is a huge blessing for us, it’s a huge blessing for our community, in allowing us to do the work, buy all the parts, do all the labor in order to get them back out,” said Murray, “We’re a volunteer based ministry, and we went from giving away five cars our first year, which we were thrilled to do, to close to 30 this year so far.”
In order to qualify for a vehicle, you just need a drivers license, proof of insurance, and a referral from a job, church or another non-profit.
You can apply through this link, where you can also sign up as a volunteer or donate a car, which the non-profit is looking for.