MONROEVILLE, Pa. — A local car dealership is opening up new opportunities for a pair of families.
Rob Cochran, chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association and chairman/CEO of #1 Cochran, donated vehicles to two local families on Wednesday at #1 Cochran’s Buick GMC showroom in Monroeville.
These donations were part of the Vehicles for Change low-income car ownership program, which aims to provide reliable transportation to families facing financial hardship.
Officials at the event identified transportation as the number one barrier for families living in poverty.
Deborah Anne Sheffey, a single mother supporting her three children, typically relies on two bus routes for her commute, often arriving home after midnight. One of her sons requires transportation for doctor appointments and a special needs program.
“This will help me a lot,” Sheffey said. “If I have to pick him up at school, he goes to a special needs school, I can take him to the doctors, we can just go hang out and go to the store, we can go on vacation.”
The new vehicle will shorten her commute, enable her children to participate in activities and allow her to save money for their first vacation in 12 years.
Marvin Davis, a father of three, works as a Grubhub driver to support his family. He regularly rents a vehicle for deliveries, with rental costs reducing his earnings. Having his own vehicle will allow him to increase his wages, pursue other employment and pick up his children from after-school activities.
“I’ll be able to get a brick and mortar job now, cause that was a little hard catching the buses and the whole nine with my boys,” Davis said. “But, man, opportunities have just opened up. I can go on about everything.”
#1 Cochran operates more than 35 new-vehicle franchises representing 20 domestic and imported brands. Founded in 1965 as a single-point Pontiac dealership, the company’s physical presence extends across seven counties, including Allegheny, Butler, Washington, Westmoreland and Cambria in Pennsylvania, and Mahoning and Columbiana in Ohio.
Vehicles for Change empowers families with financial difficulties to achieve economic and personal independence through car ownership and workforce development through technical training. The program partners with donor dealerships like #1 Cochran to award safe and reliable cars to pre-qualified families, helping low-income households become self-sufficient.
Rob Cochran announced a national partnership between NADA and Vehicles for Change to expand dealer participation across the U.S.
Cochran began his one-year term as NADA Chairman in February, preceding the announcement of the national partnership. This new collaboration between NADA and Vehicles for Change aims to expand dealer participation in the program nationwide.
The National Automobile Dealers Association, founded in 1917, represents more than 16,000 light-vehicle and commercial-truck dealerships. These dealerships hold 32,500 domestic and international franchises and are directly responsible for more than 1 million U.S. jobs.
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