By Beacon Staff
For much of her life, Chanelle Nichols never had anyone in her corner.
She spent her childhood in foster care and institutions. When Nichols aged out of foster care, she needed support and guidance.
She found it in the Burlington Building Bridges program as a way to improve not only her life, but that of her 10-year-old son, Reece Ackerman.
“It really helped me find myself. Once I started figuring out myself, it was so much easier, because I’ve never really had anybody in my corner."
Now she co-facilitates the program with director Mona Ash, helping others climb their way out of the poverty cycle. She’s been paying it forward since graduating from the program seven years ago, with no thoughts of getting anything in return.
“With my Bridges family, I can keep giving back,” she said.
Tuesday afternoon, that good will and effort finally came back to Nichols in the form of a free car, a car Nichols desperately needed.
“My car has been hanging on by zip-ties for the past five years,” Nichols said, tears in her eyes.
The car – a refurbished, 2014 Ford Focus with just over 70,000 miles – is courtesy of the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides program along with car donor GEICO and vehicle repair partner Deery Collision Center, where the car was presented.
Nichols signed-up for the program two years ago, but could hardly believe she was chosen to actually get a car.
Ackerman got a little something extra from GEICO hidden in the back seat – a gift basket full of toys.
“Thank you!” the wide-eyed 10-year-old said.
Nichols, who works at RonDavoo, knew exactly what she was going to do with the car on her first trip.
“I’m going to RonDavoo so I can honk the horn and show them the car, like I told them I would,” she said with a laugh.
Since the inception of the NABC Recycled Rides program in 2007, members of the National Auto Body Council have donated more than 2,750 vehicles valued at more than $38 million.