ASSIGNMENT UPDATE: We were asked to provide car insurance if an officer was able to obtain a donated car for a homeless woman and her 10-year-old daughter. Here is the original post if you missed it.
REFERRING OFFICER: Columbus Division of Police Community Liaison Officer James Poole (20 Precinct, Southeast Side)
Almost immediately after we made that initial post, we were contacted by people who wanted to help Shaunea and her daughter, Nakeyah. The outpouring was so great that we'll need to do two entries on it. This one will focus solely on the the car.
Retired CPD sergeant Ken Ramos contacted us about donating an insurance policy, as did current officer Eddie Wright (14 Pct), which allowed us to use the money you've donated towards what we'll discuss in the entry tomorrow. (spoiler alert!).
In the meantime, Lindsay Honda searched for the perfect car for Shaunea. They showed us two possibilities the week of the post, but neither of those met their exacting standards. On Tuesday, they announced they'd found the perfect car for her: a 2004 Honda Accord sedan.
We got all the paperwork taken care of before we took Shaunea and Nakeyah to Lindsay Honda yesterday. Jamie Wright of Wright/Dolbow Insurance was so kind and helpful, explaining everything to Shaunea and making sure that she had a policy that will work for her for the long term, and we had the insurance done even before we walked in the door.
As soon as we did walk in, Tyler Woodall greeted us like old friends. Nakeyah really liked the movie theater popcorn machine they had and the balloon Christmas tree. The paperwork was done so quickly, she didn't even get restless. (Plus, she's just a really well behaved young lady.)
When we went out to see the car, Shaunea immediately exclaimed, "Oh my goodness. Look at it! This is even my favorite color!" something Nakeyah verified with a smile. At this point, words are probably unnecessary. We'll let you enjoy the pictures. They speak louder than anything we could write. 💙
The gift of this car, which was provided by so many people coming together to make it happen, comes with freedom. Shaunea talked about being able to get more sleep because she won't have to catch the bus, and Ofc Poole talked to Nakeyah about what fun things she could do now that they have a car. Our friends at AEP Ohio wanted to help out with that, giving tickets to them and friends to go to the Columbus Zoo Wildlights Show. They were so excited that they immediately started talking about when they would go, wondering if they'd have time to make it there that evening.
Thank you to everyone who made this possible. We love this little community here that comes together to help others and spread positivity in the world. Please check back tomorrow for another update!
