A Jefferson City charity provided a way to make ends meet with the gift of an automobile to an aspiring neuroscientist Tuesday.
Sherryl Henderson, 24, Jefferson City, received a 2003 Kia Optima from the local nonprofit agency Working Wheels for Working Families (WW4WF). Henderson graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana with honors. She had a full-ride scholarship and studied biology.
"Shortly after I graduated, my mother passed away from cancer, and I had no way to get back," she said. "I was able to get home and be at my mother's side when she died. I just wanted to get back so that I can be with my little sister. ... I wanted to be there to support her to make sure she could achieve her goals and graduate high school and go on to be a successful individual."
She was able to get a ride from Lynn Shively, a friend and mentor who employed Henderson at her veterinary clinic. Shively said she was grateful for the opportunity to encourage Henderson to follow her dreams.
Henderson said she has dreamed of being a neuroscientist since she was 8 years old. She turned down a neurology fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, after she graduated so she could be with her family at their time of need, Shively said.
"I am very appreciative; I am very grateful for what they have done for me," Henderson said. "It is providing a livelihood for me and my family. People do take things like transportation for granted. I mean, what are you going to do if you don't have a way to get to your job and make ends meet so that you and your family can survive, or if someone gets sick and you don't have the ability to take them to the hospital? It is providing a means for me to basically succeed in everything that I endeavor to do and everything that my family endeavors to do as well."
Henderson's first plans were to register her vehicle at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Later she will go to the University of Missouri and find work in a laboratory to continue her education.
"I have participated in several neuroscience programs. I even have a publication with Tulane University, so it's getting there and this is a major part of it," she said about her education. "I don't just want to become a surgeon. I would really like to get involved in the research aspect of it especially, because I have had quite a bit of experience doing that. They (WW4WF) are helping me get into a position where I can help other people."
The organization started in 2013 and has given four other people vehicles. Their last individual was able to double her working hours and move out of the Salvation Army's Center of Hope and into her own apartment because of the vehicle, organization founder Julie Beck said.
WW4WF is not just giving cars to anyone. Applicants must work at least 30 hours a week or be a student who works 25 hours at least, Beck said. They also must have one or more dependents, possess a valid Missouri driver's license, be insurable, have no other vehicles, and have no felony or misdemeanor convictions in the last five years. The recipients need to be able to pay registration fees, insurance and the minimum cost of $400 for the sale price for the vehicle from the charity. They must also attend a vehicle operation and maintenance course and be at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
"This program helps working families get reliable transportation," Beck said. "We want to help working families who are struggling to find a way to work, meaning they need reliable transportation. This program is supported by the general public and the donors. ... Anybody that wants to donate a vehicle can get up to the full fair market value for that vehicle as a tax deduction."
The organization also receives assistance from several local businesses, including Craig Halderman Automotive, C&S Business Services, Jefferson City Auto and Industrial Supply, Kwik Car Lube and Tune, McKnight Tire and The Car Guys.
"There are several shops here in town that do the repairs ... donating their time and we donate the parts," said Mike Wehrle, owner of Jefferson City Auto and Industrial Supply. "We bought the business a year ago, and we wanted to be involved in the community, but really didn't know how. This is perfect for us."
Wehrle echoed Henderson's sentiments of transportation being paramount for success, and Beck's statements of gratefulness to help others succeed.
"They (people) have to be given the tools to have the opportunity," Wehrle said. "She (Henderson) has the drive and she has the willingness, she just had no way to get there. Everybody needs a hand once in a while, and this was a great opportunity for her and great opportunity for us to help somebody in a way that we would normally not be able to do."
If anyone or any organization would like to donate a vehicle to WW4WF, contact Julie Beck at [email protected], or call 573-690-6484. For more information about the program, visit www.WWFWF.com.