Gift Car Means a Lot to Young Mom

Area Businesses Help Another Family With Transportation Need

[December 20, 2007]  Stacy Urbanowicz received her Christmas present early this year. She was the winner of this year's car giveaway, hosted by Collision Concepts.

The car was presented at a ceremony Wednesday at Collision Concepts.

The car was donated by Insurance Auto Auction, and Collision Concepts fixed it up. Many local businesses donated their services, time and money to make this gift possible.

Cindy Guyette organized the event. She began by forming a team to look through applications. Guyette thanked CIEDC team members Angela Stolzenburg and Kathy Shepherd for finding Stacy.

Applicants were asked to write a one-page narrative explaining why they deserved the car. Stacy's narrative expressed how a car would change her life. She is a single mom of a 6-year-old daughter and is employed at Family Video. She did not have her own transportation to travel to work, take her daughter to school, get to doctor's appointments or advance her current career. She has the opportunity to become a manager at Family Video.

Stacey shared how the manager position would help her family to become more financially independent and improve their lives. The position at Family Video requires traveling for manager training. The car would not only change her ability to get to work or take her daughter to school, but would provide her with the opportunity to achieve the independence and security we all strive for.

Stacy's boss at Family Video remarked that she could always count on Stacy to go above and beyond. When her boss was not able to pick up holiday turkeys for a charitable organization, Stacy borrowed her mother's car and delivered them. Stacy didn't want anyone to be hungry for the holidays. She is constantly proving herself at Family Video and is very dependable.

Stacy could not hold back the tears Wednesday when she was presented the car, which meant so much more than transportation for their family.

[By JENNA GLEASON]