Another Rhode Islander is on the road to a brighter future thanks to an award from the Good News Garage, which last week put a set of car keys in the hands of Parviz Talebi Abgarmi.

The Good News Garage, a program of Lutheran Social Services, is dedicated to creating affordable and reliable transportation operations for families in need. In a kick-off celebration last Wednesday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Parviz became the third Rhode Island recipient of a GNG car.

“Today represents the beginning of a deep involvement with Rhode Islanders where generous people will donate cars to residents in desperate need of reliable transportation,” said Dave Kronberg, executive director of GNG.

Parviz is an Iranian refugee who fled his country in 2005 in fear of political persecution. He and his wife Farede waited in Turkey for four years for resettlement. They were finally granted residency in Providence this past February.

Also in attendance was Bernadette Upshur, the second Rhode Island GNG car recipient. She received her 2001 Suzuki Grand Vitara on Oct. 16. As a CNA, Upshur was walking from one client to another, allowing for 30-minute travel times in between. Now that she has a car she is able to see more clients and make more money.

“I’m the only income these guys have,” said Upshur of her children.

She and her four children have been enjoying trips to the grocery store without the bus, and were even able to venture down to Newport for Halloween to see their friends.

“We can accomplish new things and do new things,” said 9-year-old Jonathan Upshur.

Since the program’s inception in 1996, GNG has awarded more than 3,200 vehicles to families throughout New England.

The goal is to repair donated cars in order to offer them to low-income individuals in need of transportation. Recipients use the vehicles to commute to and from work, take their children to extra-curricular activities, make medical appointments and attend religious services.

Lisa Farren, marketing and development manager for GNG, says that this program “will help families get off state assistance.”

An Impact Study done by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development showed that 61 percent of GNG clients reported a decrease in their reliance on public assistance due to the vehicle. Another 60 percent reported finding employment, 37 percent had a decrease in use of food stamps, 48 percent increased their education and 90 percent attributed increased hope for the future for themselves and their families to the car.

Recipients must show that they have significant commutes, are employed full-time or have a commitment for full-time work if they have transportation.

The typical GNG recipient is a single-mom who is the sole provider for her family, but the program also has single fathers and families for clients.

Parviz and his family already know the changes the car will make on their lives.

“In Rhode Island you can’t go anywhere without a car,” he said.

Parviz and his wife have a 14-month-old daughter, Iltar, and another child due this month. The family has had to depend on friends and volunteers from the Rhode Island International Institute to get to and from doctor’s appointments.

“I need to go to school to complete my ESL classes so that I can get a job. A car will help getting the children to and from daycare,” said Farede.

Hal Colston founded GNG in Burlington, Vt., after working with low-income clients at a social service agency. He realized that many of his clients could not gain employment due to their lack of transportation and wanted to find a way to help them.

Colston partnered with four Lutheran congregations and a start-up grant from the Wheat Ridge Foundation to get GNG up and running.

Over the last 13 years, GNG has expanded into Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and now, Rhode Island.

Unlike other car donation programs, GNG-donated vehicles qualify for a deduction equal to the vehicle’s full fair market value. Most other car donation programs liquidate the cars they receive, which limits the donors’ tax deduction.

Vehicles that cannot be fixed and given to recipients are sold to fund GNG program costs.

The two partner garages currently operating in Rhode Island are Coletta’s Garage in Providence, and Terry’s Auto in Woonsocket.

“It doesn’t seem like a lot of places want to help, but it is a great opportunity to help out people that are down on their luck,” said Alvin Cook, manager of Coletta’s Garage.

Although the program is just getting off the ground, the Rhode Island GNG chapter already has a waiting list of 100 people in need.

“Transportation is as critical a need as housing or food,” said Kronberg.

Kronberg feels that changing the lives of individual families for the better will amount to a significant benefit within the state.

Sister Carol Weaver of St. Paul, who is in charge of the selection committee, stresses the importance of the face-to-face interviews with the potential recipients.

“We look at the underlying qualities in people, perseverance and resiliency, that you can only see when you meet them in person,” said Weaver.

In addition to the car donation program, GNG also operates JumpStart. JumpStart helps qualified families purchase a car. The family puts up a lump sum of money and GNG partners them with volunteer church and business organizations that will then raise money to make up for the remaining cost.

Any person looking to donate or volunteer can go to the GNG Web site at www.goodnewsgarage.org.