The 20th annual Responsible Parenting Awards, a collaboration between Harris County Department of Education (HCDE) Head Start and Bates Collision Centers, rewarded the moms' independence and relief from the daily transportation struggle they face.
As chronicled by the Houston Chronicle, Diomanique Brown, a single mother and chair of the parent committee at Compton Head Start, and Marisol Moreno, a teaching assistant working towards her degree, unraveled the gift of refurbished cars during the ceremony at the HCDE headquarters. Brown and his daughter Princess unwrapped their new vehicle together.
This year's event, partially sponsored by generous community members and businesses donating necessary resources like gas, insurance, and repair materials, marked the giveaway of the 35th and 36th vehicles since the program's inception .“It’s our favorite day of the year, when we get to see the smiles on the families’ faces as they tear off the bright red wrapping paper to find their shiny ‘new’ car inside,” Leila Bates, co-owner of Bates Collision Centers, told Style Magazine.
Lee Bates, co-owner of Bates Collision Centers, reflected on the two-decade tradition, stating that despite the gesture of giving, it's the donors who are the ones that receive the biggest gift, the gift of helping others. HCDE Superintendent James Colbert Jr. praised the lasting impact this initiative has had, thanks to the dedication of the Bates family and their community partners.
