West Orange teen named finalist in Reed Nissan's Cars for Kids giveaway

Editor’s note: Ashley’s last name has been omitted to preserve privacy for the family.

WEST ORANGE  When Ashley, a West Orange resident, was 17 and preparing to age out of the state’s foster-care system, she remembers being sat down and given a list of shelters and resources.

It was a heavy burden for anyone her age to bear, but Ashley was fortunate enough to find refuge with her co-worker — also known as her “work mommy” — and their family. 

The turn of events continued recently when Ashley found out she is a finalist in Reed Nissan’s third annual Cars For Kids Giveaway.

“My social worker heard about it, so he was asking me questions and nominated me for it,” Ashley said of the contest. “For me it was like, ‘Oh it’s just some contest; I never win anything.’ Then I got a phone call asking to verify my license, and (my social worker) called me back the same day on my break to tell me I’m one of the final six contestants.” 

The reaction was priceless, she said. After listening to the voicemail, she threw her things across the floor, booked it across the store to foster mom Diane Moore and jumped on her desk. Diane called it “an explosion.”

A NEW ERA

Ashley and Diane met through their jobs at Publix, quickly hitting it off and developing a mother-daughter relationship. When a personal emergency happened last year and Ashley was placed in a youth shelter, Diane was there to help her through it all.

“We always told her that when you turn 18, you have a safe place with us,” Diane said. “Our joke is that the youngest of our four kids just turned 21, so we got a younger model.”

Nearly a year out, Ashley’s life has transformed before her eyes compared to where she was last year. She continues to work at Publix, goes to school at Valencia College and has been adjusting to her new life.

Ashley graduated high school as a sophomore and has been at Valencia College for nearly two-and-one-half years. With just two semesters ahead of her before obtaining her associate’s degree, she dreams of transferring to the University of Central Florida to become a nurse.

“I wanted to be a nurse when I first started at Publix but ended up going for human resources,” she said. “I was one semester from graduating when I took a tour of the hospital with the group home. It was one of those things I realized I was freed from the situation I was in and they’ve been kind to me. … I want to be that person for someone else, that they can count on.”

In addition to going to school, Ashley works late nights at Publix and has weekly therapy sessions a half-hour away. She depends mainly on Diane and her husband, Art, to get where she needs to go. If they aren’t available, Uber is the method of choice.

WHOLE NEW PERSPECTIVE

“A car would mean a lot to me because it’s something I’ve worked really hard for,” Ashley said. “This time last year, I was in a homeless shelter — I never thought this time this year, I would think about owning a car. I won’t have to stress about getting to work or school or therapy, and wouldn’t have to pay for the Uber. When I go to UCF I’ll be able to come home on the weekends and see Art and Diane.”

Now that Ashley has been named a finalist, it’s up to the public to vote. Of the six finalists, two will win the cars, based on the number of votes they receive. The family is working hard to spread the word.

But even if Ashley doesn’t win the car, she said, the real prize is finding out through the voting process just how many people care about her and are on her side.

“Living in a shelter and group home is a lonely, isolating experience, and you feel like you don’t have family or that anyone cares about you,” she said. “Now when people come up to me, I think they look at me as a survivor, not a victim. I’ve always thought nobody cared, and now I see people do care. It really has been life-changing, and my whole perspective has completely changed. I feel that this is better than anything meds or therapy could ever have done.”

And as much as Diane wants to see Ashley have a car and gain that sense of independence, the community response in rallying around her foster daughter has been even more incredible.

“It’s one amazement after another,” Diane said. “The greatest thing about it is that Ashley has realized how many people love and care about her. It’s amazing and humbling to her.”