Sheldon, Iowa — The 19th and 20th vehicles donated to families in need through the NCC SkillsUSA Charitable Chariots Program were presented Thursday morning in a ceremony at Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon.
SkillsUSA presented the vehicles to two different families who applied, and were identified by the Auto Assistance Committee, which is made up of a number of local social service agencies.
Anna Becker of Spencer was one of the two recipients Thursday, and was presented with the keys to a refurbished 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass. Becker tells KIWA how she found out about the Charitable Chariots Program.
Becker says her current vehicle is on its last leg, and the Charitable Chariots car she received will be a great help in getting her five children, who range in age from 14 to 4-years old, where they need to be.
Denny Wallace is an instructor at NCC, and he says the Charitable Chariots Program is a Community Service project for their SkillsUSA chapter.
Wallace says his students go over the donated vehicles and make sure they are repairable.
He tells us what happens once the vehicles are repaired and ready to go.
Wallace, along with Jim Gaard, are the instructors who work with NCC’s SkillsUSA, which is a student run organization that promotes professional development, community service, and technical training. Students in the Automotive Service Technology and Diesel Technology programs at Northwest Iowa Community College refurbish automobiles, vans, and trucks for the purpose of donating back to area families in need. Families that receive the donated vehicles are selected by area social service agencies like Upper Des Moines Opportunity.
The organization has now awarded 20 vehicles, and Wallace says the furthest a vehicle has gone is a van that was donated from Kansas City, that was refurbished and returned a year later to a family in Kansas City.
