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| When Cierra first connected with SparkHope Automotive, she was doing everything she could to keep moving forward. As a single mom raising her almost nine-year-old son, Aven, she was balancing work, recovery, parenting, financial pressure, and the long-term goal of creating a more stable future for her family. After years of addiction and hardship, Cierra celebrated nine years of sobriety this past April and worked hard to rebuild her life piece by piece. One of the biggest turning points came when she found a job at Trader Joe’s after nearly a decade away from the workforce.” I had probably been almost ten years since I had worked when I applied there,” Cierra shared. “And they hired me. ” But transportation remained a constant source of stress. Cierra was driving an older Honda Civic that had already been through an accident. Over time, the problems kept piling up. The check engine light repeatedly came on. The radiator had issues. The hood stopped latching properly. Eventually, SparkHope discovered something even more serious. “It was determined that the frame of my Civic was unsafe,” Cierra said. “It was starting to break because of the accident I was in.” For Cierra, reliable transportation was not just about convenience. It impacted work, parenting, appointments, school responsibilities, and everyday peace of mind. She first heard about SparkHope years earlier through Jeffco County Prosperity Partners, but later conversations with both her JPP coach and a friend named Tina, who had received a vehicle through the program herself, encouraged her to finally reach out. “First I thought maybe they could just fix the car,” she said. Instead, after SparkHope evaluated the Civic, she was placed on the vehicle placement list. The wait lasted about a year. During that time, Cierra stayed patient and hopeful, trusting that the right vehicle would come at the right time. She even declined two previous vehicle offers because they did not feel like the right fit. “I just said the right one will come up when it comes up, and the Civic is going to hang in there until it does,” she said. Eventually, SparkHope called with the vehicle that would change everything. |
| By that point, the Honda was barely holding on. The hood had stopped latching again, and she was using a bungee cord just to keep things together. “Then I got the call and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is it,’” Cierra said. Receiving the vehicle felt surreal. “I was kind of in shock,” she said. “I would go outside and look at it parked in front of the house and think, ‘That’s my vehicle.’ ” For Cierra, the car represented far more than transportation. It represented safety, stability, and dignity after years of struggle. “I’m 45 years old, and I finally have an adult car that doesn’t have problems,” she said. The impact was immediate. She no longer worried about whether the car could handle longer drives or unexpected problems on the road. She felt proud to drive it, take care of it, and maintain it. “It definitely gave me more of a sense of being a respectable adult,” Cierra said. “It felt more in alignment with who I identify as being.” Throughout the process, Cierra said the SparkHope team made her feel genuinely supported and respected. She specifically mentioned Autumn for helping manage appointments and paperwork, along with Fred, Casey, and the team at the West location. “They were all very nice and helpful,” she said. Cierra also spoke openly about how difficult it can be to ask for help, especially for someone who describes herself as “hyper independent.” “It’s hard for me to accept help from people because I’m always like, ‘No, no, it’s fine. I can take care of it,’” she said. But her experience with SparkHope changed her perspective. “I have gained a huge amount of gratitude for all the help and all the people,” she said. “It is amazing what a miracle it is to participate in a program like SparkHope.” Her advice to other single moms who may be struggling is simple: “100% hands down, do it,” Cierra said. “Close mouths don’t get fed.” She hopes other women in difficult situations realize there are people and programs willing to help. “you’re in the situation you’re in,” she said, “why not help yourself?” |
