“Je suis dépassée. Pour les enfants ça va changer tout.”
“I’m overwhelmed! This will change everything for my kids!”
What would be your response if you received a gift that you had been hoping and praying for for years? At our most recent giveaway, we asked Lydia, a refugee from West Africa and a single mother of two precious children, what she was thinking as she sat in the driver’s seat of her new car. Her response? “Je suis dépassée. Pour les enfants, ça va changer tout!” which translates to “I’m overwhelmed! This will change everything for my kids!”
Lydia’s story is one of steadfast faith. What she has endured in the past 10 years is more than most will endure in a lifetime. Lydia and her family came to the USA as refugees, escaping hardship in her home country. However, within a few years of arriving she also became a victim of domestic abuse and had to flee her husband. Alone in a new country with no friends, family, or community, Lydia did everything she could to still care for and provide for herself and her children.
Lydia came to us through an incredible advocate at Partners in Opportunity, an organization that seeks to break the cycle of poverty for low-income children by helping their families access housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods. Long before coming to us, Lydia was already making significant strides towards self-sufficiently by securing stable housing and a good job. And yet, like many of our clients, without reliable transportation Lydia’s opportunities for personal growth were significantly limited to the few places that were within walking distance of her house.
On the day of the giveaway, Lydia described to us that her new car would change the way she would be able to live. She would be able to pick up more hours at work. She would be able to take her kids to school events as well as to the park to play with their friends. As she told us all of these things, she also spoke of how her faith in God had been grown and tested over the last few years, and that this car was a clear reminder that God still saw her and cared for her.
Lydia speaks fluent English, but her heart language is French. She mentioned to us that she loves reading her Bible but that sometimes it is difficult to understand all of the English phrases. Not only were we able to give Lydia a vehicle that day, but we were also able to surprise her with her very own French Bible, something that she has been longing for! (The kind we gave her was apparently just like the one she had when she lived back in Burkina Faso!)
The 2011 Honda Accord that we gave to Lydia was yet again another vehicle that was donated to OnRamp DFW! The kindness and generosity that so many people have shown in our community seems to never stop and we are so thankful! Donated cars make OnRamp DFW’s model work. We take these cars, get them repaired and serviced, and then are able to turn them around to a family in need.
If you are interested in donating your car to someone in need in our city, please click here for more information! (All donations are tax-deductible too!)
Story shared with client permission
Photos by Jon Dunlop
