Every year, countless individuals and families face financial instability because they lack reliable transportation. Without it, they struggle to maintain employment, pay bills, and ultimately risk homelessness. With support from the Josiah W. and Bessie H. Kline Foundation, Good Karma Garage recognizes this critical link between transportation and housing stability and has been working tirelessly to bridge the gap by providing no-cost vehicle repair to our Working Class Hero recipients. Pennsylvania is one of the most expensive states in which to own a car because of the rigorous annual inspection requirements. This has been exacerbated by the pandemic and subsequent exorbitant new and used car prices. Our customers are forced to nurse along their older cars, many of which have been neglected over the years because their owners could not afford basic maintenance. Higher repair bills disproportionately affect those in the lower income brackets, forcing them to drive illegally in unsafe vehicles, rely on expensive options such as Uber or use public transportation, which often does not get them where they need to go in a timely manner. This is where our Working Class Hero program shines. People have called us in tears because they could not afford the repair bills to get their cars through inspection. If I had to pick the quote most commonly heard from our clients, it would be, “I didn’t know what I was going to do before you came along.” Our services make a difference in people’s lives – that is undeniable. We are a full-time garage that provides the non-profit work as best we can. In 2023, we helped 186 families. As of September of 2024, we have helped 168 families. Funding from great people like the Kline Foundation make this possible.
Beyond the obvious benefit of the number of people we helped, there are other benefits to what we do. Based on our statistics over the years, we have determined that every dollar spent on our Working Class Hero program returns $2.95 to the families in services they don’t have to pay for. That frees up the money to be used for other household needs. Additionally, studies have shown that every dollar spent preventing homelessness saves nearly $5 in services needed to care for the unhoused. By helping our recipients maintain their vehicles, they can continue to earn a living and save money for the Central Pennsylvania communities.
Our recipients are awesome people who give back to the community.They volunteer at food banks, help family and friends get to medical appointments, deliver Meals on Wheels, and contribute in other ways to pay forward what they have received. The work we do delights us in helping to keep families together and making better lives for themselves and those in their communities.