Car Donation Aids Homeless Moorestown Family On Road To Recovery

MOORESTOWN, NJ — It was time for Laura Bingham to get a newer car. She had a 2003 Acura MDX that she and her family had twice used to move to Moorestown, first from North Jersey and then from Cincinnati.

It had miles on it, sure, but it was still well-maintained and clean, and it could fit up to seven people. She wanted to make sure this car that still had plenty of life left in it found its way to a family in need.

A short distance away, a family of seven was living in a Moorestown hotel after being displaced from their home in Cinnaminson. Through what amounted to a clerical error by the post office, they had lost their health insurance and found themselves paying for multiple surgeries for one child and insulin for another child and the father. They were unable to pay their mortgage and found themselves living on the streets.

They were riding around in a 1990 Chevy Lumina that couldn’t even fit the whole family, according to the father who didn’t wish to be identified for this story.

The two families had never crossed paths, but because they both knew about the Code Blue non-profit organization in Burlington County, one family was able to donate their car to the other for free.

“It blew us away,” the father who had been living in the hotel said. “It was a shock to me and my kids. My wife was crying.”

“The parents came to pick it up, and they were absolutely thrilled,” Bingham said. “We were also thrilled to see it go to a good home.”

The Code Blue Collaborative offers support for individual families who are homeless or who are at-risk. It also works with Code Blue homeless shelters in Burlington County. It was founded in 2016 by Moorestown resident Kristen Babcock.

The pediatrician helping the homeless family worked with Babcock and Code Blue, and got in touch with them to see if they could offer any help. Babcock’s children go to school with Bingham’s children. That a connection would be made was inevitable. The donation became official on Wednesday, July 3.

In addition to the car, Code Blue helped the family get into an apartment. The father is working two jobs, and they appear to be on the road to recovery. They are coming from a situation that could happen to anyone, the father said.

“We were getting food stamps and health insurance” when they moved, he said.

During the address change, they failed to get their renewal forms and lost both. His daughter has had multiple surgeries, and he and his son need insulin.

“One vial of insulin is $300, and it only lasts 28 days,” he said. “We also had to supply a bottle and syringes to the school.”

As a result of the increased medical expenses, they fell behind on their mortgage.

“I tried to explain the whole situation to my landlord, but they had already decided what they were going to do,” he said. “We got evicted. We had no place to go, and we ended up in a hotel.”

They lived there for about nine months before being connected with Code Blue. First came an apartment. Then came the donation of the car.

“We’re happy to give it to local people in need directly,” Bingham said. “ … The value of what we would’ve gotten for the car from a dealership vs. what donating the car can do for someone is huge.”

The family has also been invited to join Code Blue when they speak in Washington, D.C. as part of the National Conference on Ending Homelessness later this month.

It is the first time Code Blue has been invited to send someone to speak at the conference. Two members of the board will speak, and members of the community who have benefited from their help have also been invited to speak.

Babcock has voiced the need for the county to do more to help the homeless, including establishing more homeless shelters. Only one is listed by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and it is in Burlington Township.

There are still plenty of people in need, and they can get in touch with Code Blue through its Facebook page or its website or by emailing Babcock directly at kristen.babcock@yahoo.com.

Bingham's family had the Acura for years. It helped them make two major moves, and the family became synonymous with the car around town. They no longer own the car, but it's still part of their lives.

“My daughter has seen it around town, at the store and other places,” Bingham said.

The new owners will forever be grateful to those who donated the car, as well as those who have helped in other ways.

“It’s amazing how many nice people you meet when you’re homeless,” said the man who received the car. “I hope they stay in our lives forever.”