When young people turn 18, there’s an expectation they will get a job or go to college or a trade school, said Amanda Bartley, executive director of Jonathan’s House Ministries.
“But to get a job, you need a car,” she said. “And to get a car you need a job.”
Jonathan’s House Ministries, based in Tunnel Hill, Georgia, serves people ages 18-25 who have aged out of foster care or who are homeless, young people who don’t have parents who can help them buy that first car.
So Jonathan’s House has partnered with Paniagua Auto Mall to help those young people acquire the car they need.
“We had to find a way to get them a car without a huge down payment and without credit, which most of these kids don’t have. We buy cars here for cash, and our kids pay us back as they can,” Bartley said. “It’s not a set amount. If they can afford, say, $100 a week, they pay us that. If they can afford maybe $60 a week, they pay that.”
Bartley praised the staff at the dealership, especially salesman Juan Martinez.
“It has been so nice for us to be able to bring the kids here, and Juan goes out with them and shows them 15 or 20 cars each until they find something,” she said. “This is the first car for almost all of them. It’s the first major purchase for most of the kids, and the people here have been so helpful. He spent four hours here one day with three different kids.”
Martinez said he tries to help the young people as much as he can.
“We are happy to do that,” he said. “We want to get them a car based on their needs. They are kids, and sometimes they want more of a car than they can afford. Sometimes we suggest something a little smaller, a little less flashy than what they are looking at. “
Founded three years ago, Jonathan’s House Ministries offers a two-year program for those young adults that includes housing assistance, full coverage of rent and utilities for the first six months, and 50% coverage of rent and utilities for the next six months.
It takes its name from the Bible, where David promised his friend Jonathan that he would always care for his lineage. After Jonathan died, David found his son, Mephibosheth, who had been disabled. David took him and his family and his servants into his house and took care of him for life.
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“About 85% of our kids have been in foster care most of their lives,” Bartley said. “Every one of them sits down with our financial counselor and goes over insurance, car payments and everything. They leave that meeting stunned. Most of them have never had to pay bills before. It’s a learning experience for them, and these guys have been so patient.
“Teenagers who leave the foster care system can get health insurance from the state until they turn 26. We had one kid working with our financial counselor and they were going over car insurance, and he said, ‘No, I get free insurance.’ He didn’t realize it was just health insurance.”
Chayla Husser wasn’t looking to get her first vehicle but to replace one that wasn’t running well.
“This program is very important to me,” she said. “It gives me some options.”
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Bartley said in America, to really be independent, young people need a vehicle, and the partnership with Paniagua is helping several young people take steps toward independence.
“These guys are making a big difference in their lives,” Bartley said.
To find out more about Jonathan’s House Ministries, go to jonathanshouseministries.org.