A young woman had the surprise of her life when she found out someone gifted her with a new car after sharing her story with a non-profit organization.
She is raising her three younger siblings on her own and really needed something to lift her spirits. However, she did not expect it would be this grand.
Rachel Chavez is only 24 years old but she is now responsible for the welfare of her three younger brothers, ages nine, 15, and 17.
She has been looking after them for the past year and a half. Though her parents are still alive, they are no longer capable of raising them and providing for their needs.
At a young age, Rachel had to step up and help her parents so she studied hard to become a pharmacy technician.
She is working full-time to make ends meet and ensure her brothers are well taken care of. She also got legal custody of her siblings a few months ago.
“I’m caring for them to give them a better future, to provide them with what they need, a roof over their head, food,” Rachel said.
“Our parents still see them, but they are working on their own health. I just wanted my brothers to have a stable household.”
Rachel was doing a great job raising her younger siblings all by herself and putting food on the table.
She only had one dilemma: she had to do all this without a car. Her responsibilities are big enough and not having a car made it even more challenging.
Thankfully, she does not have to worry about it anymore. After sharing her story with a non-profit called the Homeless Engagement Lift Partnership (H.E.L.P.), they thought of giving her a new car to make her days a little easier.
“We just want to be there for her, we want to help her along her journey and help the boys and help lift her up,” said Dawn Marie Rapaport, founder of H.E.L.P.
“She’s been taking the bus to work and school. Now she’ll save a lot more time and spend that with her family.”
Rapaport also shared that they have interviewed nearly a hundred families and learned about their stories, in hopes of finding the most deserving recipient of their gift.
Among all the families they are currently assisting, Rachel’s story has warmed their hearts the most. They learned that she was doing all her responsibilities without a vehicle so they thought a new car would help her and cheer her up.
Last month, Rachel was brought to Arrowhead BMW to receive her gift. She thought she would be helping wrap presents for other families but she was shocked when she saw a new car for her.
“Seeing it, that first view, I thought I was in a dream, I was like, ‘someone pinch me, because this can’t be real,” she said.
The brand new 2015 Honda Accord was donated by Arrowhead BMW, Jaguar Land Rover Arrowhead, and Volvo Cars Arrowhead.
“When we can give back, especially in such a great light with Rachel and her siblings and it’s local, it’s impactful, that’s a big deal for us,” said Nathan Schwan, the general sales manager of Arrowhead BMW.
Rachel is grateful for this life-changing present as it can help her and her siblings with a lot of things.
“My younger brother Daniel was talking about getting into football and I was like, oh my gosh, that would be awesome, I’ll be able to take him and go to the games,” Rachel said.
She cannot wait to use her new car and have fun with her siblings. “I’m really excited because we’ll be able to do anything we want and I’m really looking forward to bonding with them in a new way.”
Watch this video to see the heart-warming surprise for Rachel and her siblings:
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