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Local business awards working mother with special gift
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| Christina Gaudin gets behind the wheel of her very own fully recondition 2002 Ford Escort after being selected to receive the car by the Harris County Department of Education (HCDE). Each year Bates Custom and Collision donates a refurbished vehicle to be given away to working parents whose children participate in HCDE’s Head Start program. |
By JOSH HARDWICK
Baytown’s Bates Custom and Collision has once again partnered with the Harris County Department of Education (HCDE) to help make the Christmas holiday a merry one for some needy families this year.
The collision repair business celebrated its tenth annual Responsible Parenting Award and Benevolence Car giveaway Wednesday, Dec. 17, awarding two like-new, reconditioned cars to families participating in the HCDE Head Start program.
Head Start is a federally funded education program for preschool children from low-income families. Applications for the awards came from the 16 Head Start centers in east and northeast Houston.
Prospective winners are interviewed and selected by committee. Traditionally, families who receive the cars depend on public transportation, walking and rides from family and friends to get their children to school and to go to work.
“These mothers are generally goal-setters who go above and beyond to become the most responsible parents – volunteering their time in their kids’ classes and in Head Start activities,” said Head Start Director Venetia Peacock. “They exhibit growth in their parenting skills as they support the growth of their children.”
Bates Custom and Collision owners Lee and Leila Bates were inspired to participate in the national car giveaway program after hearing the story of a single mom in Utah who was presented with a reconditioned car by a local body shop there.
Having watched thousands of used but otherwise working vehicles be sent to salvage or sold for parts, Leila Bates said that she and her husband realized the cars could be put to much better use.
In 1998 the Bates’ set out to repair, recondition and clean a used car to donate to the program for the very first time. They have since provided 16 cars to needy families since that time.
This year two separate car giveaways were held: one at the Bates’ main office in Baytown and another at their Channelview location. Each vehicle was also stuffed with gifts donated from employees and the community.
Having met with dozens of families struggling to get on their feet with the help of Head Start, Bates said that providing them with a vehicle of their own goes a long way toward overcoming that struggle.
“This is truly the missing piece of the puzzle for these families,” she said. “They are already on the road to independence and success and with a car they can make their lives easier and go so much farther than they could before.”
At the Baytown location, Houston mother Christina Gaudin was the lucky recipient of a fully reconditioned red 2002 Ford Escort.
Gaudin’s son, Christopher, is currently enrolled in HCDE’s Coolwood Head Start Center, where she works as a teaching assistant.
The Gaudin family fled to Houston from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005. Without a car, her mornings included early morning commutes via METRO bus to take her son to school.
Gaudin briefly enjoyed singing at a downtown church choir, but had to give that up when she could no longer secure reliable transportation.
As a parent, Gaudin said she hopes to attend college someday to help provide a better living and an example for her young son to follow.
She expressed gratitude toward the community that helped her as she and her son tore the giant bow off her new vehicle.
With this gift, Gaudin said she hopes to take even greater control of her family’s life.
“I am learning to be more independent and self-sufficient,” she said. “I am so thankful to have wonderful people helping me, but sometimes I feel like a burden and want to carry my own weight.”
For business that for years sought a way to do more than just pay lip service to the idea of responsible parenting, Gaudin’s words were music to the Bates’ ears.
“Parenting is a huge job in every family. It’s really the most important thing any of us will ever do, and we wanted to do more than just talk about family,” she said.
Bates Custom and Collision has operated out of Baytown for nearly 20 years. For more information, visit their website at www.batescustomandcollision.com. Information about the Head Start program can be found at www.hcde-texas.org.
The collision repair business celebrated its tenth annual Responsible Parenting Award and Benevolence Car giveaway Wednesday, Dec. 17, awarding two like-new, reconditioned cars to families participating in the HCDE Head Start program.
Head Start is a federally funded education program for preschool children from low-income families. Applications for the awards came from the 16 Head Start centers in east and northeast Houston.
Prospective winners are interviewed and selected by committee. Traditionally, families who receive the cars depend on public transportation, walking and rides from family and friends to get their children to school and to go to work.
“These mothers are generally goal-setters who go above and beyond to become the most responsible parents – volunteering their time in their kids’ classes and in Head Start activities,” said Head Start Director Venetia Peacock. “They exhibit growth in their parenting skills as they support the growth of their children.”
Bates Custom and Collision owners Lee and Leila Bates were inspired to participate in the national car giveaway program after hearing the story of a single mom in Utah who was presented with a reconditioned car by a local body shop there.
Having watched thousands of used but otherwise working vehicles be sent to salvage or sold for parts, Leila Bates said that she and her husband realized the cars could be put to much better use.
In 1998 the Bates’ set out to repair, recondition and clean a used car to donate to the program for the very first time. They have since provided 16 cars to needy families since that time.
This year two separate car giveaways were held: one at the Bates’ main office in Baytown and another at their Channelview location. Each vehicle was also stuffed with gifts donated from employees and the community.
Having met with dozens of families struggling to get on their feet with the help of Head Start, Bates said that providing them with a vehicle of their own goes a long way toward overcoming that struggle.
“This is truly the missing piece of the puzzle for these families,” she said. “They are already on the road to independence and success and with a car they can make their lives easier and go so much farther than they could before.”
At the Baytown location, Houston mother Christina Gaudin was the lucky recipient of a fully reconditioned red 2002 Ford Escort.
Gaudin’s son, Christopher, is currently enrolled in HCDE’s Coolwood Head Start Center, where she works as a teaching assistant.
The Gaudin family fled to Houston from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005. Without a car, her mornings included early morning commutes via METRO bus to take her son to school.
Gaudin briefly enjoyed singing at a downtown church choir, but had to give that up when she could no longer secure reliable transportation.
As a parent, Gaudin said she hopes to attend college someday to help provide a better living and an example for her young son to follow.
She expressed gratitude toward the community that helped her as she and her son tore the giant bow off her new vehicle.
With this gift, Gaudin said she hopes to take even greater control of her family’s life.
“I am learning to be more independent and self-sufficient,” she said. “I am so thankful to have wonderful people helping me, but sometimes I feel like a burden and want to carry my own weight.”
For business that for years sought a way to do more than just pay lip service to the idea of responsible parenting, Gaudin’s words were music to the Bates’ ears.
“Parenting is a huge job in every family. It’s really the most important thing any of us will ever do, and we wanted to do more than just talk about family,” she said.
Bates Custom and Collision has operated out of Baytown for nearly 20 years. For more information, visit their website at www.batescustomandcollision.com. Information about the Head Start program can be found at www.hcde-texas.org.
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