New Car, Strangers' Holiday Generosity Stun Homeless Mom (Video)

HOMEWOOD, IL — When Selena Gilchrist arrived at Chevrolet of Homewood on Christmas Eve morning, she knew she was there to receive a new car as the winner of the dealership's annual holiday giveaway. What the homeless mother of five from Chicago's South Side didn't know, however, was that the generosity didn't end with simply putting her behind the wheel of a 2017 Chevy Sonic.

"It's truly a blessing," she told Patch before Sunday's ceremony at the dealership, 18033 Halsted St., to give her the keys to her new car.

Gilchrist, 35, was selected as the winner by employees of the dealership and the Village of Homewood. She was nominated for the contest by Santino Woods, a CTA bus driver who met Gilchrist in October when she and her kids were passengers on his route.

During the ride, Gilchrist asked Woods for directions to a homeless shelter, and the two struck up a conversation, with Gilchrist discussing some of the challenges she and her children faced. About a month later, Woods immediately thought of her when he heard the dealership was looking to give a car to a deserving person who would benefit greatly from a new vehicle.

Gilcrhist's 3-year-old daughter is deaf, her 6-year-old son is autistic, and her 15-year-old daughter has diabetes and depression. Gilchrist herself has diabetes, and she has had a stroke. Since October, she and her children have been living between homeless shelters and her mother's Chicago apartment as she has tried to find work.

"I don't think anyone on this planet deserves it more than her," Woods said in his video nominating Selena.

"Beautiful lady, beautiful kids," he added.

The dealership received more than 420 submissions from around the country for the contest, and Gilchrist was one of six finalists. She was contacted about winning Thursday, and she finally was able to drive away in her new car Sunday.

"It was unbelievable at first. … I didn't know how to feel," Gilchrist said about her initial reaction to winning. "I haven't won anything before. I'm still in shock."

RELATED: Homeless Woman Wins New Car From Homewood Dealership

And the surprises continued for her at Sunday's event. That's when she learned the dealership agreed to pay the taxes on the vehicle, as well as pay for insurance for six months. A full tank of gas and two years of free oil changes also were provided.

But Woods and the dealership weren't the only ones moved enough by the personal struggles of Gilchrist and her family to want to help them.

Before the official ceremony to hand over the keys to her new car began, a woman approached Gilchrist and gave her a $25 gas card and a hug before departing without giving her name. Bob Cuban, the dealership's general manager later gave Gilchrist a gift basket, what appeared to be a hand-knit scarf and a card with $120 in cash inside. A woman from the Tinley Park-Palos area had dropped off the items with Cuban after reading about Gilchrist on Patch, he said.

The reason for the generosity from the woman who wished to remain anonymous? She had struggled through her own tough financial stretches and could empathize with what Gilchrist was going through, Cuban said.

It's those pay-it-forward gestures that Steve Phillipos, the owner of Chevrolet of Homewood, and Ja'Mal Green, a Chicago activist and founder of Majostee Allstars who helped spread the word about the giveaway, wanted to inspire with the annual contest. This year, the dealership changed how the winner was selected — relying on a group of employees to choose instead of letting the public vote — and it saw an increase in submissions such as Woods', in which people nominated other individuals and not themselves, said Tina Lonkar, the dealership's internet manager.

RELATED: Car Giveaway Finalists Named By Homewood Dealership

Although this was the contest's third year, it was the first year the dealership partnered with Green, who wanted to make sure potentially deserving residents throughout Chicago knew about it. In fact, Woods, who also lives on the South Side, said he learned about the giveaway after reading it on Green's Facebook feed.

"Real simple: Miracles do happen," Phillipos said.

Phillipos and Green say they've been so happy with their partnership that they plan to continue working together on future projects. They also will continue to help Gilchrist find work, and they hope this will inspire her to help others the way it inspired others to help her.

The essays for all the finalists and participants can be read at the Homewood Chevy Cares website.

Selena Gilchrist receives a hug from a young cousin Sunday, Dec. 24, after picking up the keys to the 2017 Chevy Sonic that she won from Chevrolet of Homewood. (Photo by Joe Vince)