BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT

Dr. Shanequa Smith
Community Representative

SECRETARY

Claudette Karr

Executive Director

Human Resource Development and Employment, Inc.

TREASURER

Sam Hickman
National Association of Social Workers, WV Chapter

Laurie Thompson

WV Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Cara Pogue

Underwriter – Standard Accounts South

Envoca Insurance

Kate FitzGerald

Community Representative

Luke Carney

Toyota Motor Manufacturing WV

Emily Halen

WV Supreme Court of Appeals

Jane Hange

WV Alliance for Sustainable Families Board Member

Frank Bush

Attorney

Larry Dawson

Larry Dawson Auto Sales

Jared Wyrick

President

WV Automobile Dealers Association

Kyle Robson

Commercial Insurance Agent

McGriff

Charles Anthony Parker

Elk City Auto Spa

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jennifer Thacker
Good News Mountaineer Garage

DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Ron Wiles Jr.
Good News Mountaineer Garage

Good News Mountaineer Garage is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. We rely on the generous contributions of vehicles and money from individuals, churches, organizations, and businesses. Your donations are tax deductible and may also qualify for a direct state tax credit (when available) for half the value of your vehicle.

ABOUT US

OUR VISION

At Good News Mountaineer Garage, we are dedicated to treating all people with dignity. That’s why we work to find our neighbors a safe, reliable vehicle so they can make it to work and provide for their family. Because when one of us becomes self-sufficient, our whole community benefits.

WHAT WE DO

Good News Mountaineer Garage is organized, and shall be operated exclusively for, the charitable and educational purposes of repairing and providing donated vehicles to persons moving from welfare to work, and other low-income persons needing transportation for employment, or to attain education goals.

Good News Mountaineer Garage is a 501 © 3, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safe, reliable transportation to West Virginians with lower incomes who are working toward a goal of financial independence. We do this by accepting donated vehicles, making necessary repairs to those vehicles, and then providing them to qualified West Virginians to use as transportation to and from work or job training.

Good News Mountaineer Garage is able to put people on the road to self-sufficiency with the help of many individuals and organizations. Our model consists of accepting repairable donated vehicles which are then distributed to families across the entire state of West Virginia in need of transportation to work or job training. Since its inception, Good News Mountaineer Garage has provided over 3,500 vehicles.

HOW IT WORKS

We accept donated vehicles and make all necessary repairs, then distribute them to people with demonstrated need statewide.

Since its inception in 1999, Good News Mountaineer Garage has provided more than 3,500 vehicles to West Virginia families.

GNMG is involved in an ongoing process to measure the outcomes of its programs. The results of this past year's respondent follow up study showed:

From July 2019 through June 2020 GNMG has provided 246 vehicles to meet the transportation needs of 314 adults and 443 children.
Number of cars provided to families total approximately 3,500 since inception: in FY21, GNMG will provide 250 vehicles.
In the past four years we have provided 903 vehicles to meet the transportation needs of 1,122 adults and 1,680 children.
DHHR TANF's Director reported to the US DHHR that GNMG was one of the case managers' most valuable programs to help people get off public assistance.

A follow-up survey of TANF vehicle recipients showed the following:

87% were no longer on TANF
9% were on TANF but were in training or the 6 month transition stage of moving to employment
4% were still receiving TANF and not in training or transition
36% are able to attend more school activities
36% accessed better child care
21% moved to better housing
31% accessed improved medical care