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Nashville mom Kendra Kidwell used to wake up at 5 a.m. every morning just to get to work by 10.
Her daily journey began with an early morning wakeup call so she could get herself and her one-year-old son Anniken to the bus stop by 7:15. After walking to the stop, they’d wait in the heat, rain or snow for their first Metro bus. A second would drop them off a football field away from Anniken’s daycare.
After leaving her son, Kidwell would schlep that same football field back to the bus stop, take a ride to the central bus station and wait for another bus, sometimes for up to 30 minutes. She’d take that bus to work and often times still be 5 to 10 minutes late.
The whole routine would repeat in reverse every evening, but it often took longer because of traffic.
Meanwhile, Loum Odwar, a refugee from Sudan, was spending hundreds each month taking Uber rides to and from the Franklin corner where he sells “The Contributor” to earn money. Odwar graduated from Tennessee State University with a degree in mathematics and is working toward a goal to teach.
Kidwell and Odwar are just two examples of the hundreds of people whose lives have drastically changed thanks to a unique ministry run by Church of the City in Franklin, Tenn. The COTC Cars Ministry provides reliable transportation to those who need it.
But it is about so much more than a car.
Odwar, who speaks with broken English, said for the first time in a long time, he feels loved.
“I was selling the paper in another community, but people insulted me,” he recalled. “They yelled at me, ‘get a job,’ and I said, ‘this is my job.’ So I will leave that community and go across town.”
After landing in Franklin, Odwar met Jesse Holman, a member at Church of the City. Holman noticed Odwar many Sunday mornings and one day, extended an invitation that would change both of their lives.
“One day, I saw him and rolled down my window and said, ‘Jump in. I want to hear your story,'” Holman said. “I ended up giving him a ride home and got to hear about his life.”
Holman bought Odwar some Uber gift cards and invited him to church. He did, and it wasn’t long before Holman had the idea to help him apply for the Cars Ministry. Holman said he’ll never forget the day Odwar heard he was getting a car.
“He looked at me like I was tricking him or something. He got to go get in his car, and his entire world changed. A car means freedom,” he said.
Odwar’s response to the donation?
“Getting the car changed me completely. Before, I did not have any car. I stayed in my apartment with my mom. I would come sell the paper and go back inside. Until this miracle happened, I was really sad. This is where I began to develop love. I feel love in myself. Attending church here, people greet me. They smile at me. I feel so good.”
Four wheels and a purpose
In 2017, pastor Darren Whitehead mentioned to his congregation he’d like to start a cars ministry like one from his former church in Chicago. When church member Dustin Foretich heard it, he was on board immediately.
The idea was the church would accept tax-deductible vehicle donations, fix the cars up and donate them to single mothers in need of reliable transportation. What began with one donated car has resulted in 180 cars donated to date to all sorts of people in need, not just single moms.
“I am a gearhead,” Foretich said. “I grew up under the hood of a car with my dad. It was 100% necessity. I grew up poor, and we were always working on our junky cars. I loved that relationship with my dad. I was always with him underneath a car.”
What started as necessity for Foretich evolved into a calling that was ignited when the cars ministry formed. Six years later, he’s running the program. Initially, he was fixing the cars himself, but as the volume grew, the church partnered with Moody’s Automotive and Cody’s Automotive in Franklin, who help cover repairs at a discounted rate.
“People always talk about ‘Oh I have a calling,’ and I always felt like I missed the boat on that. I never had that calling. I had this struggle when I was a kid, and now there’s a purpose to it. I love my career, but this is my passion. In that moment when Darren announced this ministry, it all came together. I have a purpose now,” Foretich said.
One car can change lives
Since forming the all-volunteer ministry, the church has received thousands of applications for cars via their website. Foretich said an applicant has to have a Tennessee driver’s license, proof of car insurance, live in the Williamson/Davidson County area and have had a job for at least three months.
“We review the applications and if they are a good candidate, we interview them,” Foretich said. “The application is pretty extensive. We don’t want to give someone a car who can’t put gas in it because then we really aren’t helping them. We have heard heart-wrenching stories of how people got to the point where they are, so we want to make sure they can maintain and afford the car.”
Then there’s prayer and a reference check.
“If the references are good, we send them an email saying we are going to give you a car. We set up a time to meet and hand them the keys. No strings attached.”
Foretich said it’s easy to take for granted all the ways a car can change someone’s life.
“They can go to work,” he said. “They can go to the grocery store and pick their kids up from school. Some recipients get really emotional and some are just happy. There is some shame with some of them. Some fear we are going to take the car back. We’ve had people just sit in their car, crying.”
In addition to a set of keys, Foretich said his small team also tries to help ensure the recipient knows a few basics about car ownership. He shows them where the oil goes and where the spare tire is. They are provided a set of jumper cables and a car seat, if needed.
Donated cars = self-sufficiency for someone
On a sunny Tuesday afternoon in July, Jennifer Bancroft walked into the church and handed Foretich the title to her 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe. Two signatures and the deal was done.
The car didn’t run and would have to be towed in.
“I learned the motor was going out, and the dealership said they’d give me like $500 for it if I traded it in on a new car,” Bancroft said. “We have always wanted to donate a car. We just didn’t anticipate it being one that didn’t run. I was disappointed to give them a car that didn’t work, but they said they could use it, so I handed it over. This program is putting people in a position to be self-sufficient and successful.”
Foretich said the ministry will gladly accept any car, whether it runs or not. The goal is to get more cars in, so they can give more away. In addition to the cars that don’t run, the church also received one donation from a celebrity for a $60,000 Ford Expedition, he said.
“We sold it and bought five Honda Civics,” he said. “Those are practical, reliable cars. That’s happened more than once. The program doesn’t exist unless people donate cars. Some people say, “I can’t even get it to you,’ but the money we get for parts pours back into the ministry.”
Foretich said the ministry has taken in some 400 donated cars since its inception. He’d love to see that number become 500 cars a year.
Before and after moment
In May of 2023, the keys to a gold 2015 Toyota Camry with 119,000 miles on it would redefine the trajectory of Kidwell’s life.
She got her son back from the foster care system.
She is now enrolled in the manager training program at her job.
“I was amazed. Flabbergasted. I was kind of in shock,” Kidwell said of the donation. “You just don’t think it’s real at first because people just don’t do that sort of thing. It’s really awesome there’s a program that does. Now I don’t have to get up as early, so I get to spend more time with Anniken. We don’t have to carry our groceries on the bus, so I’m not limited to what I can get at the store.”
Emily Demers, who volunteers in the Cars Ministry alongside Foretich, said watching Kidwell’s life change has shown her the impact the program has on the recipients.
“We are not just helping Kendra, but we are helping her son, too,” Demers said. “To get your child out of foster care, transportation is essential. This is keeping Anniken out of foster care.”
As for Odwar, in addition to selling “The Contributor,” he is also now using his 2012 Hyundai Sonata to drive for Lyft.
If you or someone you know is in need of reliable transportation or would like to donate a car, visit the Church of the City website at https://cotc.com/franklin/cars/.
Melonee Hurt covers growth and development at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee. Reach Melonee at mhurt@tennessean.com
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