Friday, April 22, 2016

STEP into Kindness

In August of 2014, I was contacted by Support the Enlisted Project(STEP) who had a special case. They were working with an active service duty member. My good friends at Caliber Collision asked STEP to contact Mark Buys Damaged Cars.

This service member was stationed in Japan when his new baby was born. The birth was very difficult and following complications the family was moved to San Diego unexpectedly. Upon arriving in San Diego the family had to buy a car on short notice. They found what they hoped was a good deal and bought a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta. However, just after a few months the engine blew on the car and they were now faced with a $9,400 loan balance and no transportation. The family turned to STEP for help.

Coincidentally, Caliber Collision had approached STEP with a car that they wanted to donate to a service member through their Recycled Rides program that restores vehicles back to factory condition. Through the generosity of their staff and their partners these cars are gifted to families who really need them. STEP connected the family to the Recycled Rides Program where they received a 2012 Toyota Corolla.

This is where I came into the picture. We had to address the issue of selling the Volkswagen in its current condition so the family could use those funds to reduce the $9,400 loan balance. Through my company and network of dismantlers, STEP and Mercedes Benz of Riverside, we were able to pay off the remaining loan balance. As you can imagine this gave the family a much needed relief.

I wanted to share this story to spread the word about the great work that STEP is doing. Support the Enlisted Project's mission is to provide active duty and veteran families financial aid and help them come up with a plan to achieve their financial goals. Here's a list of their services I got from their website:

  • Emergency financial assistance
  • Money management skills 
  • Holiday relief
  • Offsetting cost of living initiatives 
  • Wounded warrior care giver support
  • Cammies to college
STEP is a great foundation that helps so many active duty members and vets each year. Please check out their website and Facebook page. I'll link both websites below.


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