With the mission to provide personal transportation solutions to keep people working, Susan Jacobs founded Wheels of Success back in 2003.
The idea to create a nonprofit came about when Susan realized the lack of a reliable mass transit system in Tampa Bay and the struggles faced by underemployed individuals when trying to get to work or find a job. From underemployed individuals to veterans and domestic violence survivors, the program seeks to help people grow within their professional life.
“Because they’re underemployed, they’re not making enough and then they have to rely on government assistance,” Jacobs said. “Many of the people that were able to get into cars eventually get a raise, a promotion, a second job, go back to school – all of which they couldn’t do without the car. And once that happens, they no longer need government assistance. They’re on their own.”
Over the 17 years since it was founded, Wheels of Success has donated over 1045 cars, completed about 1000 car-related services and helped an overall of 2000 families. If an individual has a car worth fixing, Wheels of Success will send it to car repair rather than give out a new car.
To qualify for the program, individuals should be working full time as well as be referred by either an employer or a social service agency. Self-applications are not taken and nominees must have a low-to moderate-income.
Once people are referred, they go through an interview and a car class, where the expectations are explained and the payments are broken down. The program lasts one year and all selected participants of the program receive the car’s title.
“Ninety percent of our cars are from individual donors,” Jacobs said. “We do get some from dealerships and other resources, but 90% comes from just people in the community.”
In a year, around 50 to 100 families are helped through Wheels of Success. Jacobs said that the nonprofit tries to do a minimum of 40 to 50 cars while the rest is through car services.
Wheels of Success pays a total of $3,000 to get the car on the road, which covers the 90-day warranty. Once the family gets accepted into the program, they have to pay a total of $100 to $125 per month for a year to complete the program and earn the car’s title.
“The challenge is being understaffed to do what we do and to expand because we just don’t have the funding,” Jacobs said. A lot of times we get grants, but they are to fix the cars, not to pay for operating expenses. It’s hard to find the money for operating expenses.”
Despite the challenges of finding donors and sponsors, Jacob believes that seeing the impact being created makes everything worth it.
“So that’s our goal, you know, is we wish there were mass transit and, if that happens, and people don’t need cars, I’ll find something else to do,” Jacobs said. “But right now, that’s not what happens, especially because we’re so spread out. So having a car is critical – really to have any quality of life. So that’s when we’re the happiest.”
