Vehicles for Change Honored for Positive Economic Impact in MD

Heather Gramm, CEcD, president, Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA), N. Gordon Knox, principal, Miles & Stockbridge, P.C., Martin Schwartz, president, Vehicles for Change; Michael R. DiGiacomo, executive director, Governor's Workforce Development Board

Baltimore-based nonprofit, Vehicles for Change, was awarded the 2019 Economic Development Program MEDA Award from the Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) at an awards banquet on Monday, April 29, 2019 at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge, Md.

MEDA Awards celebrate the people, projects and programs that are transforming lives by creating opportunities, inspiring innovation and enriching communities across the State of Maryland.

Vehicles for Change was recognized for its Full Circle Auto Repair & Training Center – a program that’s virtually eliminating recidivism rates among the formerly incarcerated men and women it serves by training them to become auto mechanics. The nonprofit is also the largest car ownership program in the United States, having awarded more than 6,300 low-cost vehicles to low-income families and individuals since 1999, transforming the lives of more than 22,000 people.

Vehicles for Change was nominated by Michael R. DiGiacomo, executive director of the Maryland Governor’s Workforce Development Board, Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR).

“I nominated Vehicles for Change because the organization impacts people’s lives by providing returning citizens invaluable skills they need to enter and stay in the workforce, while also assisting with providing transportation to vulnerable populations that may not otherwise be able to get to-and-from work,” says DiGiacomo.

Vehicles for Change’s Full Circle Auto Repair & Training Center opened in 2015. Since its inception, more than 100 men and women have graduated from the 4-6-month program, boasting a 100% completion and job placement rate with average starting salaries of $35,000 per year.

“Vehicles for Change has made a massive difference for those previously incarcerated and low-income individuals in Maryland and across the nation. Having access to transportation is one of the main challenges for these individuals,” says Kim Clark, president of MEDA. “It’s wonderful to be able to showcase this type of project at the MEDA Awards.”

Sponsored by Miles & Stockbridge P.C., the MEDA Awards showcased efforts to attract new businesses, assist existing businesses, redevelop business districts, market communities and support economic development throughout Maryland.

“Vehicles for Change is honored to have been recognized by MEDA to be nominated by Mike DiGiacomo for our work in Maryland,” says Martin Schwartz, president of Vehicles for Change. “There is still much work to be done and VFC is excited to be a part of getting our residents most in need back to work and thriving in our new economy.”

To learn more about Vehicles for Change, to donate a car, or give a monetary gift, please visit vehiclesforchange.org or call 410-242-9674.