Wheels4Hope

Wheels4Hope began at West Raleigh Presbyterian Church in 2000. John Weistart (a law professor) and Chris Simes (an engineer and “car guy”) saw a need among struggling families for reliable transportation. John found in his contract law studies that the options for low-income citizens to buy a car were limited, and many times people were taken advantage of by having to pay inflated prices and interest rates. Yet, a vehicle is a critical part of getting and keeping a job in our area, where public transportation is limited.

"In fact, most of what we take for granted as normal family life requires a car. It is only when our car goes in the shop that we taste what some families face daily, a sense of isolation and limitation," said Simes.

During a meeting at West Raleigh Presbyterian in the fall of 1999, Weistart and Simes expressed concerns to their congregation about the low-end used car lots that often prey upon the poor. The pair worked through a mission group at the church to address the need for affordable, reliable transportation for low-income citizens by opening an all- volunteer garage.

On May 22, 2000, papers were officially filed to form a non-profit organization that came to be known as Wheels4Hope. It is a fully qualified 501(c)(3) charity. Wheels4Hope then obtained a used dealer license, a rented garage, and recruited a handful of volunteers who were willing to help.

Over the last 10 years, the primary mission of Wheels4Hope has been to sell program cars to qualified recipients who are referred by partner social-service agencies. Recipients pay $500 for their car and are also responsible for title and transfer fees. In the process of providing affordable cars, Wheels4Hope also stands behind each program car with a 6-month warranty. Over 275 vehicles have been placed with low- income families and individuals in this manner.

The organization operates largely on income generated by the public sale of donated vehicles that are inappropriate for program placement due to excessive mileage, high maintenance costs or other problems. These vehicles are sold to the general public with full disclosure offering many individuals and families the opportunity to purchase a modestly priced used car. Thanks to the generosity of local citizens who are willing to donate their used vehicles to help low-wage members of our community, Wheels4Hope continues to grow and looks forward to a bright future.