A single mother of three children received a big gift from Oakwood Tire Company this week in the form of a free car.
This week's award was the 16th time Oakwood Tire has awarded a car to a community member in need.
WDUN's Bill Maine spoke with Chelsea Gowan in an interview that aired Wednesday morning on Mornings on Maine Street.
"About a year ago from now I was in a pretty rough situation," Gowan said. "I was with an ex ... my kids' dad, their father. I had lived with him for about seven years ... we were always struggling with money. And I finally just, one day ... I just got up and I had people that told me, they reached their hands out all the time, they told me 'if you ever need help, just call me,' so I finally just picked up the phone."
Gowan said several of her ex's family members helped her get back on her feet. This led to her acquiring her GED and enrolling in college with the goal of becoming a phlebotomist.
"I just finished my first semester, and in that process, I had taken WeGo, taxis, Ubers, you name it," Gowan said. "It's a lot, like paying for taxis and trying to get help with rides ... so this right here is just honestly a huge blessing for me. I never thought of this happening to me, honestly. I literally thought I was going to come here today and just buy a car and be almost penniless."
Gowan received an Acura sedan as part of the giveaway.
