Midas launches Project Spark

Through Project Spark, Midas will provide repairs, including parts and labor, for vehicles donated through 1-800-Charity Cars. This nationwide initiative will help more than 1,000 people in Midas communities across the country. “Project Spark was created to honor Midas’ heritage of being a good neighbor and to always be a touch better,” said Brian LePorin, Vice President of Marketing at Midas. “By providing necessary repairs such as a set of new tires, an inspection or an oil change on donated vehicles, Project Spark lets Midas help others by doing what it does best: fix cars.” Transportation can be a significant barrier to gaining and maintaining employment. In fact, more than 10 million American households do not have a car (U.S. Census, 2016) and 45 percent lack access to public transit (APTA, 2017), making them less likely to find and keep jobs. “In the end, we believe this program can be the key to removing barriers and getting folks back on the road,” said LePorin. Project Spark officially launched today in Philadelphia at the Midas located at 64 W Germantown Pike. “I am honored to represent locally owned and operated Midas owners for the launch of Project Spark,” said Brian Beers, Midas Germantown Pike store owner. “Repairing these vehicles and handing over the keys to those in need gave me and my team a tremendous sense of pride and hope for this initiative and the impact it may have on the lives of the recipients,” said Beers.

Vehicles were donated to people including:

Jasmine W.
Jasmine is a single mother of four beautiful, young children. She gets up at 5 a.m. to get three kids ready for school and works two jobs. She spends 4-5 hours taking three buses a day and stretches to make ends meet. She wants to provide a better life for her kids. Jasmine received a 2011 Ford Escape along with new car/booster seats.

Dorsey S.
Dorsey is a husband and father of two teenagers who are actively involved at school. After losing his job a few years ago, the family got behind on bills and became homeless. To make matters worse, their car broke down and was too costly to repair, leaving the family dependent on friends, family and public transportation. Throughout it all, Dorsey and his family stuck together. Today, Dorsey has a job and is building a future with his family. Dorsey received a 2008 Buick Lucerne with plenty of trunk space for his kids’ sports equipment.

Tim S.
Tim is a Marine Corps veteran whose brother was killed in the line of duty as a state trooper. For the past 14 years, he has selflessly dedicated his time to bring awareness and fund raise for families of fallen officers. Tim and his family lost everything in a house fire and are trying to get back on their feet. Tim received a repaired 2007 Honda Accord along with new car seats.

Project Spark will surprise working families, veterans and first responders in additional markets including Detroit, Minneapolis and Greenwich throughout 2019. Individuals who would like to help or learn more about Project Spark can visit Midas.com/ProjectSpark.