Marcus- The Original Driver

In 2018, I went to buy a new car, but I was not sure what to do with my old one. I looked into car donation, and I found that the car would have been auctioned or salvaged. So, I gave my car to Marcus, who was struggling to rebuild his life after difficulties with addiction. Giving the car to him was such a remarkable experience that I spent the next few years working to start Wheels to Work. Shortly after we launched Wheels to Work, I asked Marcus if we could sit down and have a conversation to tell his story as the “Original Driver”.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————--

Marcus was born in East Cleveland, and he moved to Atlanta when he was young. In late 2017, he moved back home with his Grandma on the same street that he started. He needed to get sober, so he went back to Cleveland to make it happen. 

I asked him a broad question, “Who are you and what are you about?”

He responded, “I think I am a black man in America (laughs). I’m about love, and I am about being there for others, no matter the race or anything like that.”

Marcus continued, “When I moved here I was going through a lot. I was struggling with addiction, I was struggling with my family. I was lost. I didn’t have any type of hope. I was in a really bad place. It was definitely a bottom for me in my life, but it was a blessing too.”

I remember meeting Marcus in January of 2018 as he was struggling to get on his feet. Sobriety took in May of 2018. That time period would be difficult for anyone, and I asked him what it was like for him. 

“Some of the things that I was going through at the time were things like a desperation for recovery. I was really in the midst of finding myself. My relationship with a higher power was starting to develop. Today I am a very spiritual person. I feel like God was working on me.”

Four months later, I was getting a new car, so I had a car to donate, give to someone, or sell. I felt that Marcus was a good bet. 

“What was it like getting the car?” I asked. 

“It was absolutely magical. It was totally spiritual. It was a shock because, you know, that was the first car in my life that I owned. It was one of those gifts that I can say has truly changed my life. It was a deeply spiritual moment for me.”

“I had the help of my friends. I had to pay insurance, I had to come up with the money to make sure the car was safe. All these new challenges, all these new responsibilities. And, at the time, you know, I was new to responsibility, because I was a broken person before I came to Cleveland.”

“The best part of being a car owner for me was that I had a car and I was a car owner. At that time, I was 27, I had never had a car in my life. I never saw it coming. I went from riding a bike, catching the bus to work. It was a sign that I was doing something right. I was staying sober.”

“The car helped me substantially. When it comes to moving forward, I was able to get to meetings, I was able to help other people in recovery, I was able to get to work on time. Actually, I was able to get a second job, show up there on time, make different deliveries and stuff. It helped me with my confidence, it helped me with my faith. It gave me hope. That maybe somebody was up there looking out for me.”

I’ve known Marcus for three years, and I’ve watched him grow. I asked him about his life today. 

“Today, I have a new car which I don’t think I’d have without that first car I had got. Today, I enjoy my job, I enjoy my friends and family. Today, I am sober. Today, I have a little bit more responsibility, which I enjoy. I’ve grown so much. It’s truly a miracle.”

“Today, I feel like I’m a totally different person. Today I have all types of gifts that I never thought I’d be able to have. A few of those things are a job that I’ve had over a year. A car. I did not have my first car until I was 27. Good relationships with my family and friends.”

For his final thoughts on car donation and WTW, Marcus said, “I think when I got the car, it was like a catalyst to my development. That car was a game changer. It was like I was given a chance to see what I have.”