UWTVA receives grant for Don’t Despair Car Repair program

FARMINGTON — United Way of the Tri-Valley Spot [UWTVA] is obtaining $10,000 in grant funds from the Maine Charity Foundation Fund of the Maine Community Foundation [MaineCF] for their “Don’t Despair Car or truck Repair” method. The application, which introduced in spring of 2022, is made to support individuals who personal autos, but do not have the resources to resolve any challenges the vehicles may perhaps be going through.

Because getting their first application in May well of past 12 months, UWTVA has assisted a lot more than 40 homes and dispersed much more than $38,000 for motor vehicle repairs for people who skilled.

“[The program] is geared toward helping men and women get to and from work, or seniors about 65 to get to health care appointments that are out of town and stuff,” Nichole Ernest, Director of Internet marketing and Communications, said in a cellular phone interview.

“We see transportation as a significant barrier in our community,” she additional, “to getting and preserving a task, staying nutritious and trying to keep your clinical and dental appointments, receiving to psychological well being appointments, staying ready to go get your groceries, and just every day things.”

To utilize for the application, candidates have to go to the United Way place of work, situated at 218 Fairbanks Rd. in Farmington. Originally, programs had been accessible online, but given that Sept. 14, apps can only be finished in particular person.

“What we discovered were being that a great deal of the folks, they would convey to the garages that we experienced now pre-accredited them and they wanted to be moved to the entrance of the line,” Ernest stated.

Now, candidates are screened closely by UWTVA and after the application is completed, they would be despatched to a specified garage to have their repairs estimated.

As of Feb. 2022, 13 garages are affiliated with the method, and they are as follows:

• Foster Profession and Specialized Education Center [Farmington]

• Phillips Motor Sporting activities [Farmington]

• Romano’s Garage [Livermore Falls]

• Rick’s Vehicle [Wilton]

• Boyce’s Automobile [Kingfield]

• Poulin’s Garage [Kingfield]

• Merrill’s Garage [Jay]

• Hilltop Collision [Jay]

• Pierre’s Garage [East Jay]

• Randy Keach Car [New Sharon]

• RP Automobile Restore [Rangeley]

• KOOBS Garage [Oquossoc]

• Maine Wrench [Strong]

In accordance to Ernest, Hilltop Collision in Jay has stopped getting clients from the program owing to a large backlog but are nonetheless stated as participants in the program. “They’re so sought soon after for their physique function and stuff,” Ernest mentioned.

Response from the garages has also been very good, with 1 even heading over and outside of to help a ladies get her motor vehicle back on the street.

“We experienced a single garage in which a vehicle went,” Ernest explained, ”and the person was like, ‘I’m really sorry, but this auto is not really worth correcting. It is not value what you’re gonna have to pay back to get it inspected.’”

One of the standards of the method is the repairs designed to the car or truck must allow for it to pass inspections, if not the vehicle will not qualify for participation. Unfortunately for this person, the automobile did not qualify simply because of the quantity of work that necessary to be carried out.

Having said that, the mechanic produced a property phone to examine an additional car or truck the person owned to see if that car or truck would meet the standards. It did, and the proprietor loaded out a second application with UWTVA for that car or truck alternatively.

“[She] is again on the highway with a auto that runs but it did not even take place to her to get that 1 repaired,” Ernest reported. “Until he claimed, ‘well, enable me choose a seem at it and see.’

“For me, that is going over and past,” she additional.

For much more information on the system, or UWTVA, please call them at [207] 778-5048.