DETROIT (WXYZ) — There are few things that say “Merry Christmas” quite like a new car. Especially when it feels like life has been driving you as opposed to you driving it.
Chanprell Anderson, a single mother of six kids in Detroit, received an SUV from Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, Detroit Police Commissioner Darryl Woods, Say Detroit, and Bishop Charles Ellis of Greater Grace Temple at Pershing High School on Monday.
“Thank you, guys, so much. I’m still blown away. I swear I am,” said Anderson. “I definitely didn’t know this was going to happen. I’m thankful. I really am.”
“It’ll be efficient for my kids to get back and forth to school because I was having a hard time," she continued. "I am.”
Pershing principal Bryant Tipton took note of that when observing Anderson’s daughter, who attends the school.
The family didn’t have reliable transportation. That, at times, resulted in Anderson’s daughter missing school. The family was evicted from their home earlier this year and has been living with relatives and in a hotel room.
“Right now, they’re walking. They had to move from the east side to the west side of town because of some unfortunate incidents happened,” said Tipton. “This (the new vehicle) will allow our student to be able to get to school every day instead of trying to catch a bus from the west side to the east side just to get to Pershing.”
Staff at Pershing adopted the family for Christmas, and Tipton enlisted other community members to give the family a helping hand for the holidays.
“It’s a deserving family,” said President and CEO of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, Dr. Chad Audi. “He (Tipton) explained the fact that she is a working mother with six children and we couldn’t do anything but think of fixing the issue that she had.”
“This family is going to be blown away after we finish ministering to their needs,” said Woods.
Woods says STP Trucking is covering the cost of insurance for the new vehicle for six months. Woods and others plan to take the family on a shopping spree at Somerset Mall and have another surprise in store for the Anderson family.
“I’m excited, I’m happy, and I did not know this was going to happen,” said Anderson upon receiving the vehicle. “Everybody, you definitely surprised me, and I am grateful. My kids are excited for the holidays.”
