Just in time for the holidays, two Harris County Department of Education Head Start moms will each receive a rehabbed mystery vehicle full of gifts from Bates Collision Centers as part of their 24th Annual Responsible Parenting Awards.
Bates Collision Centers will give cars No. 43 and 44 to Crystal Rios, whose two children attend Baytown Head Start, and Jasmine Delce, whose son, Tyler, attends Compton Head Start. Both were nominated by Head Start staff.
Each year, Bates Collision Centers gives two refurbished cars to HCDE Head Start parents who are actively involved in their children’s lives and demonstrate responsible parenting. Shop owners Lee and Leila Bates have prioritized this giveaway year after year because they recognize the sacrifices parents often make to provide for their children.
Bates employees donate their time and skills to work on the cars and help fill them with gifts. Other community members and businesses donate gas, car insurance, materials needed to rehab the vehicles, and gift cards.
About Crystal Rios
Twenty-two-year-old single mother of two Crystal Rios is working on rebuilding her life after ending an abusive relationship that culminated in a serious car accident. Left without transportation, Rios has relied on friends and family to actively participate in her Head Start students’ schooling while completing a cosmetology certification from Lee College, which she completed on Saturday. The gift of transportation will allow Rios to expand her earning potential, take her daughter to speech therapy, and overcome her past trauma.
About Jasmine Delce
Two separate, back-to-back car crashes have left thirty-three-year-old Jasmine Delce without a vehicle. For the past two years, she has relied on ride-sharing apps, public transportation, and family and friends to get her kids to school and herself to work. A lack of transportation has also forced Delce to quit or turn down jobs she has earned, limiting her means to support her family. Delce is an engaged mother who takes her kids to church and cheer practice, all while working nights and weekends. Having her own vehicle will enable her to make additional income through gig jobs like grocery and package delivery services.
