Free2B! is making a positive difference in Anoka County by enhancing the quality of life for many recipients. The mission of Free2B! is “Providing Car Care to Enable Independence.” The goal of Free2B! is to help families maintain their independence and be able to go to work, school, or run family errands by making sure families have reliable transportation. Free2B! also assists families by providing financial budgeting classes and vehicle maintenance classes. Free2B! was incorporated in 2000 and operates a Car Care Program. Free2B! is a non-profit 501 (C) 3 organization that accepts donated cars, repairs them and then donates them to Anoka County residents in need. Free2B! also has Car Repair Clinics and repairs vehicles for Anoka County residents that already have a vehicle and are in need of vehicle repair.

Free2B! is the last hope for many Anoka County residents challenged with transportation problems. Clients are referred to Free2B! from many agencies (ACCAP, Alexandra House, CEAP, CCTP, Job Training, DWP, MFIP, Rise, Ways to Work, churches, etc). If the client is not able to receive service through another organization they are eligible for our services. Seventy-eight percent of our clients are female, thirty-three percent of our clients are minorities, fifteen percent are disabled, seven percent are seniors and all of our clients meet the federal poverty level.

On July 19, 2008 Free2B! gave away its 600th car. Imagine a parking lot with 600 cars and a large number of families waiting to go to work, church, a doctor’s appointment, drop children off at school, get them to baseball or softball practice. Although it did not happen all at once, since inception 600 people were given a car to help them with their transportation challenges. The recipient of the 600th car is a single mom with four children living in Coon Rapids.

 Presenting keys to 600th car is Al Sannerud, treasurer of Free2B Board with volunteers and clients of Car Care Saturday, July 19, 2006.

Free2B! has fourteen One-a-Month Repair Sites. These sites repair one vehicle a month free of labor for Free2B! car donation recipients. The 600th car was repaired by our newest One-a-Month Shop, High Tech of Ham Lake. One month after becoming new owners of High Tech, George Gibson, was called for duty to Iraq. He has been overseas for seventeen months and is scheduled to return next month. Amy Gibson has been running the business in his absence.

Free2B! has also repaired over 2,100 cars for families in need. Free2B! maintains two Car Care Saturday’s a month. On a Car Care Saturday vehicles are repaired or given away while clients take the vehicle maintenance and budget classes. The repairs are done using volunteers and Free2B! pays for the parts.

Free2B! has three parts suppliers that provide parts at cost, one of which provides us with the first $600 per month free of charge and another deducts thirty percent off the total. Therefore, the cost to Free2B! is less because of the resources we have available to us.

In 2006, the Charities Review Council recognized Free2B! for meeting all sixteen accountability standards for a non profit agency. Free2B! was also awarded the 2006 Governor's Faith and Community Service Initiatives Best Practices Award. Last year Free2B! received the 2007 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Honorable Mention from the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits on October 4, 2007.

 Pictured is Amy Gibson of High Tech presenting keys to Kristin Cramer, recipient of the 600th car. Also present is one of Kristin’s children and Jason Gray the tech at High Tech that worked on the vehicle.