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Photo courtesy of Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church.
A team of volunteers at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church helps provide cars to those in need in the Vestavia community, like JoAnna Sasnett, above.
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Photos courtesy of Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church.
Jannice McCullough is pictured with the car she received from VHUMC’s car ministry.
In Vestavia Hills, as well as most of Birmingham, the availability of public transportation is varied. For those without a car, getting around town or to a job can be particularly challenging.
For Mayor Ashley Curry, that came into perfect focus when he met a young man walking in the rain, trying to get to work.
After giving the man a ride and connecting him with transportation a while later, Curry said he began to think about those trying to better their lives, but who were stuck due to lack of transportation.
“That stays in my mind, that if we can help these people, they’ll be helping themselves,” he said.
And while he doesn’t attribute it to himself, thanks to Curry’s actions and idea, a group of members at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church is working to make the lives of those in need a little easier.
VHUMC provides cars or repairs the cars of people whose lives would be significantly improved by owning a vehicle, but who, for various reasons, have either lost their car or cannot afford to fix their own or purchase a new one.
“In a sense, the car ministry helps those who are trying to help themselves,” said Rachael Hayes, VHUMC missions coordinator.
Hayes said in the ministry’s vetting process, they ask candidates why they need a car, and the answer is almost always to be able to get to work.
“That opens up their possibilities,” she said.
In 2016, the ministry placed 38 cars with people in need, the most in its history, and over the five years the program has been operating, the team has placed dozens more.
Hayes said applications often come in after the church receives a call about another ministry and realizes the person could benefit from having reliable transportation.
After receiving the application, Hayes said the candidate is interviewed by a group of ministry team members who ask the candidate questions about his or her background, needs and other things.
Once a car is available, and Hayes said the interviews generally happen close to the time a car is about to become available, the candidate is called to the church to receive the vehicle.
At that point, she said the church makes sure the recipient has insurance and knows how to care for the car, and they commemorate the event with a photo.
That, she said, is really when the best part of the ministry begins.
Hayes said they have received countless stories from recipients, not only thanking the team for placing them with a car, but showing the ways the car has improved their lives.
She said they’ve seen recipients be able to connect with family members, get a job or get a better job and even go back to school.
“[It’s] life changing,” she said. “In so many ways.”
But she and VHUMC communications director Timmy Collins said it’s not just life changing for the recipient.
About half of the cars donated are from VHUMC members, Hayes said. The other half are purchased through donations made to the ministry.
“I think a lot of members, they want to be able to give and do these things, but they want to go through a vetted program,” Collins said.
He said that for some, it’s hard to give to programs where either you don’t know where the money is going, or you feel it may not make an impact in a tangible way.
“This program does a really good job of vetting it and putting the cars exactly where they’re needed,” he said, but added the cars also all stay in the Vestavia community.
More than providing a reputable program to donate to, Hayes said the relationships formed between the donor and the recipient give her chills.
“There’s been a lot of little things that have happened,” she said. “It’s a ministry that connects two parties that would have never met.”
Collins agreed.
“It’s so powerful to be able to watch,” he said. “It is really unique in a sense that you get to see the change happen.”
Collins added that he thinks the VHUMC congregation has connected with that idea.
And Hayes and Curry both said they hope the greater Vestavia community will recognize the power the ministry has to change lives.
“I would hope people would be aware that these types of programs are out there, and it’s very easy to be involved,” Curry said.
Hayes had a more tangible hope.
“I would love to see us not have a waiting list,” she said.
Right now, candidates wait an average of six to nine months for a car, and Hayes said she would love to have a surplus of cars, so that whenever someone applies, they get the car almost right away.
Hayes and Collins said those interested in donating a car or helping the ministry financially can contact the church.
“The need is here,” Collins said. “The needs are in Vestavia.”
