Second Chances Garage

To better acquaint our members and the greater community with our grantees, we are highlighting some of the nonprofit organizations that have received WGC grants. This quarter, we reached out to Cindy D'Aquino, Director of Development at the Second Chances Garage. Cindy provided us with the following description of the Second Chances mission.

Second Chances Garage is going into its 10th year as a non-profit serving the Frederick Community.

We provide affordable, reliable transportation to economically vulnerable individuals and families. Our goal is to get useable vehicles back in service for those otherwise unable to own a vehicle. We accept donated vehicles of any condition, repair what we can, and get them back into service.

Over the past 10 years, Second Chances Garage has served over 4,000 individuals and families with reduced car repairs, with 75% or approximately 3,000 of these repairs being for women. We’ve had over 1,500 cars donated and have placed 220 Program Cars. Of these, approximately 154 have been placed with women.

In 2019, Second Chances Garage received $8,000 from the Women’s Giving Circle to assist women with car repairs and another $8,000 to assist women in receiving a program car. Of this money, we have been able to provide eight women with a Program Car and provide reduced-cost-car-repair for another 43 women.

We all know from personal experience how difficult life becomes when our car is in the shop for a long period of time. Many of the women we serve have been living without a car for years. For many, receiving a car is a life-altering event.

To learn more about our program or to donate a vehicle, please go to www.scgarage.org or call 240-724-1919.

See below for photos of the happy driver of a Second Chances vehicle, pictured with Jana Moberly, member of the WGC Grants Committee and Ann Ryan, Director of Family Services, Frederick Housing Authority.