Alicia Williamson received a 1998 Toyota Camry three years ago from Vehicles for Change, and it impacted her life significantly. “I remember being so excited. It was the first car I owned. My goal was to move to Baltimore after one year and I saved up my money and made the move," she says. 

Before having a car, Alicia was living at a transitional home called Anne’s House. Anne’s House connected her to Harford Community Action Agency, where she got into their financial help program. She worked a number of part time jobs near Anne’s House. The closest bus stop was 45 minutes away, so she was limited to working at places that were close. 

Today, Alicia works at an alcohol and drug rehab facility called Gaudenzia. She has been promoted twice there and is now a care coordinator. She helps people exiting the program stay successful by helping them find jobs, housing, and connecting them with other social services. She said she likes her job because she wants to “give back because there are so many agencies that helped me when I needed it.” 

Alicia came to VFC with a client from Gaudenzia to see if he could get into the Full Circle Center for Automotive Careers internship program. This program trains unemployed and underemployed individuals for jobs in automotive services. To Alicia and his delight, he got in to the program. She has truly become a VFC superhero.

Want to read more about our car recipients? Check out our blog dedicated to their stories.