In this issue, you will learn about the current challenges people are facing to secure reliable transportation and 10 ways Love Columbia is responding. You will also read stories about people who secured transportation and the community members who helped make this happen. Finally, you will receive an invitation to Howdy’s Second Annual Car Show on Saturday, October 4!

Tough Times for Transportation Seekers

Buying and maintaining a car is more costly than ever before and public transportation is often not a viable alternative. In a survey of unemployed individuals seeking assistance from Love Columbia, 72% said lack of transportation was a major barrier to obtaining employment.

Rising Costs:

• According to Experian, the average price of a new car is now $47,962, and the average price of a used car, $25,180.
• Owners are keeping their cars longer and commanding higher prices even for high mileage cars.
• Interest rates are also on the rise, which means buyers are paying more over the life of their loans. According to Experian, used car loan rates have increased significantly over the past five years, climbing from just over 9% in 2019 to nearly 12% in 2025, with loans often stretching over seven years. Individuals seeking assistance from Love Columbia have reported car loan interest rates as high as 27%, due to their low credit scores.
• Edmunds, a car-shopping website, reported that an increasing number of consumers with auto loans had negative equity, meaning they owe more on their vehicle than it’s worth. Their trouble often began when they paid more than market value due to pandemic-sparked shortages and rolled payments into their next car purchase loan. The result is high monthly payments and crushing debt. The average monthly payment for buyers who rolled negative equity into a new loan was a record-setting $915 in the second quarter of 2025.

Public Transit Limitations:

Columbia Transit Authority currently has six bus routes that primarily serve the city core. There is a 1.5 hour wait between stops and no service on Sundays and most evenings. These limitations make it difficult for many workers to use public transportation to get to their jobs.

10 Ways Love Columbia Assists with Transportation

(All numbers are 2025 year-to-date services provided)

1. Help understand/navigate city bus system
2. Referrals to Bike to the Future to get a bicycle
3. Match with a car, scooter, or e-bike donated to Love Columbia (18)
4. Car Purchase Savings Match: provide $500 match for $1,000 saved by financial coaching participants (14)
5. No interest loans for car purchase or large repair, up to $1,000 (13)
6. Car repair assistance for low income workers to get to their jobs (114)
7. Ride fares and gasoline vouchers to get to work or school (732)
8. Partnership with First Last Mile for rides to essential appointments and work
9. Car coaching to navigate purchase and maintenance journey
10. Car maintenance classes, offered at several locations

People Loved Forward with Transportation Assistance

• Two working single moms, one completing her first semester of nursing school and the other training to become general manager of a local fast-food restaurant, could continue career advancement.
•  Two recent high school graduates, children of our clients, seized college and employment opportunities to support themselves that would have been impossible without a car.
•  Reliable transportation enabled a father returning from incarceration to reconnect with his children in another state.
• A single mom who loved her job as a home care aide kept the patients and job she loved.
•  A young man in career coaching was empowered to accept a high-paying job at a local manufacturing plant.
• A young couple expecting their second child kept their jobs and made it to doctor’s appointments.
• Assistance purchasing a car helped an unhoused woman live in it as temporary shelter until she secured permanent housing.
• Two families could continue their cleaning and landscaping businesses that required vehicles.

Expressions of Thankfulness and Joy

• Single mother of three children: “I appreciate your van donation more than you know. I have a job and three small children, also, I take care of my brother's three children, so to receive this donation was such a blessing. My youngest in school isn't old enough to ride the bus and with work and every day errands it is so hard without a vehicle. Want to say thank you again so much and it is a beautiful thing to have good people in the world like you.”
• 8-year-old daughter of a single mom who declared, “I’m going to get to drive this car when I grow up.”

People Who Are Making It Happen

Extra Mile Financial Coaches

Every Monday evening, a team of volunteer coaches, led by Sherry Wyss, our financial coaching coordinator, offers our Extra Mile money management program at In2Action men’s prison reentry program. The group of nine men who most recently completed the 16-week program paid off $36,265 in debt and saved $30,430. One participant purchased a truck and others are saving toward purchasing a vehicle. One man shared proudly that this would be the first car he had purchased by going to work everyday, doing things legally and not depending on drug money. Another man reduced his monthly car payment by $150 through the help of a coach’s refinancing guidance.

Stopped Driving – Still Giving

Charlie Koelling, age 98, donated his van last month. Charlie decided it was time for him to stop driving, but his desire to bless others has not slowed down at all! He donated his van and a set of hearing aides he no longer uses. With his quick wit and big smile, Charlie is a bright light of wisdom and joy

Blessing Another Single Mom

Janie Bailey donated her 2013 Nissan Altima. She wrote, "I love the idea of it going to a single-mom. I was also a single mom driving that car around & was always so thankful to be able to rely on it.” To ensure reliability, she put on new tires, replaced the brake pads, and changed the oil.

Veterans United Employees

For the past five years, Veterans United Foundation has helped fund our Get to Work car repair fund. VU volunteers recently cleaned cars waiting to be matched with recipients.

Car Maintenance Instructors

Howdy Matheny and Tim Myers teach our car maintenance classes. Stay tuned for their video series coming soon to increase accessibility to vital instruction on maintaining a vehicle.

Howdy’s Second Annual Car Show– October 4

Get ready, car enthusiasts! Join us for the Love Columbia Second Annual Howdy's Car Show on Saturday, October 4, this event is free to attend and open to the public. If you would like to enter your vehicle into the show, the registration fee is $20.

All proceeds from the event will support our transportation coaching program, which helped repair nearly 200 cars for neighbors in need in 2024.

Location: The Crossing Church parking lot, 3615 Southland Dr, Columbia, MO 65201

Time: Gates open at 8:00 AM

Pre-registration: Pre-register by September 27 to receive a free event T-shirt!

Registration: $20 per vehicle. Register between 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM the day of the show

Prize Ceremony: Begins at 1:00 PM

Awards will be given for Best in Show, Best Car, Best Truck, and Howdy's Choice. We hope to see you there!

How You Can Help

Donate a car or funds to repair one! Most donated cars need $500 to $1,000 in repairs to pass inspection. Most recipients are asked to pay for these repairs and the cost of getting the car licensed and insured. Occasionally, a recipient has paid a higher amount to replace an engine or transmission. Some families simply cannot afford to do this, so we ask donors to step in.

“For us to receive a reliable, working car is a wonderful blessing," Howdy said. "But we take anything, push, pull or drag it to us and we will turn it into a transportation miracle for someone.”

We currently have several cars waiting for funding in order to be repaired. We are grateful to Mid-City Lumber for providing a gated parking lot for us to park them while we are working on a match. Please consider giving a car or funds to help us!

Transportation Partners Spotlight

Bike to the Future

Since 2016, Bike to the Future has matched over 1,500 bikes to help people get to work or school. Request for bikes are made in partnership with local agencies. For more information visit: lovecolumbia.org/transportation-assistance or to volunteer or donate email: biketothefuturemo@gmail.com.

First Last Mile

Love Columbia and many other organizations partner with First Last Mile to provide vital transportation services to work and appointments. Director Miles Gibson (right) introduced new Fleet Manager, Brendan Wiley (left), and shared about a new service:

“The City of Columbia has approved the new Ride Home Program, which coordinates with select service providers to help individuals secure safe and reliable transportation back to their home communities. Our organization is collaborating with the City to finalize program logistics and ensure effective support for those in need. We anticipate the launch of this program to begin in mid-September."

Local Motion

Columbia nonprofit, Local Motion believes in towns built for everyone, where it is easy to walk, bike, and take the bus where you need and want to go. Affording, owning, and driving a car shouldn't be a necessity for success and Local Motion hopes to advocate for a Columbia where it feels easy and safe to get around town, no matter how you travel. 

Local Motion joined with Love Columbia to promote overall life flourishing at the Douglass Park Juneteenth Celebration.

We had a wonderful time at our August volunteer lunch and learn! If you'd like to learn more about volunteer opportunities, email us at volunteer@lovecolumbia.org.

Ready to get involved? Join the Love Columbia team by volunteering or making a financial contribution.