A family approached St. Vincent de Paul about a young man, Jerry, being held in Fulton County Jail.  Despite his very traumatic and chaotic childhood, Jerry had much potential. He was in need of encouragement, compassion and help.

 His pro-bono attorney said he needed to provide a concrete plan to the court to increase the likelihood the judge would allow him a chance to start over. That plan, among other things, entailed finding employment and a vehicle to get to the place of employment. Jerry needed transportation to complete his transformation.

 A car for this promising young man could make the difference between him possibly being sent to prison for a number of years and the judge allowing him probation. This young man sincerely wanted to turn his life around.  Finding employment will help tremendously, but finding employment with a criminal record AND without a car is very difficult.

Connecting this young man with a local St. Vincent de Paul Conference, he learned the criteria necessary to obtain a car. He would need obtain insurance and have a valid driver’s license.  He needs to recognize and understand the costs of gas, maintenance, registration and insurance.  He must have no DUI in 5 years and no other moving violation in the past year, and no outstanding tickets of any kind.  

After filling out the necessary paperwork, Jerry was delighted when he was handed the keys to his 1990 Cadillac.  He’s living with his brother, has found a job and is getting back on his feet. A single dad, Jerry now can spend time with his child on the weekends. We recently received an e-mail from the SVdP Conference that assisted Jerry. They tell us the car is on the road and Jerry is driving toward success and transformation.