Brian, his wife and five children — ages 3, 9, 14, 15, 16 — have been without a car for about a year. “I did what I could to keep it going,” Brian said of the old family car, but it had one problem after another.

Having no transportation made day-to-day living hard for the family. For Brian to get to work, he had to rely on friends for a ride.

“We are really lucky we have such good friends and neighbors…but getting a ride from someone is really hard.”

While his family is thankful for the support that allowed Brian to keep his job, the family’s transportation woes meant Brian’s wife couldn’t get a job, and the family often had to walk a mile or more to school and the grocery store. Unfortunately, this exposure to the elements meant the kids caught a lot more colds than usual.

Friends In Deed was able to help by passing on a donated mini van. Brian and his family are extremely happy and thankful.

“Oh my goodness!” Brian said incredulously, thinking of the many ways the van will make a difference for his family. “We won’t have to walk to the grocery story anymore! That was a real challenge in winter time with the baby…We can let the kids be kids,” he added of his teenagers, who helped out a lot.

Brian’s plans for the near future? He is excited that he and his family can finally attend one of his son’s basketball games.

Thanks Friends In Deed!