Working Wheels, an organization that provides affordable, reliable transportation to local families, is hoping its IMPACT grant will prove to be a game-changer. “We are overwhelmed by the need in the community for the services we provide, shares Jamie Beasley, Working Wheels’ Executive Director. Currently, the organization has partnerships with 21 organizations in Western North Carolina whose case managers can refer their clients to the Working Wheels Vehicle Purchase Program and 11 partner organizations for the Vehicle Repair Program. “Many of these organizations wish they could have more vehicle and repair slots than we can currently provide for their clients. We also have a waiting list of over 40 local non-profit organizations that have filled out an application to be a referral partner.”
A three-year grant from WNC Bridge Foundation, along with the support of other local foundations and partners, will enable Working Wheels to deepen its impact in the community by increasing the number of families participating in the vehicle programs. “It is so important to our success that we have funding partners like WNC Bridge Foundation willing to work in partnership with non-profit organizations over multiple years rather than year by year. Partnerships like this make us stronger, which makes our whole community stronger,” explains Beasley.
At the end of 2024, WNC Bridge Foundation will have invested over $6.7 million in IMPACT Capacity Building Grants to organizations working to improve the health of individuals across Western North Carolina. A complete list of grant recipients can be found at
https://www.wncbridge.org/grants/impact-recipients/