Jack Taylor Toyota Donates 2015 Sienna Van to Friends of Guest House

When Friends of Guest House, an Alexandria nonprofit that helps female nonviolent ex-offenders re-enter the community after serving time in Northern Virginia county jails, made a fundraising video in June about how they needed a new van to take residents to job interviews, new jobs, doctor’s appointments and so on, they did not expect such quick results.

Donations were coming in when Guest House’s BB&T banker Jennifer Ferrara sent the video to Jack Taylor of Jack Taylor Toyota in Alexandria. Taylor called immediately and asked what he could do. Guest House gave the dealership the funds they had raised so far (about $5,000) and a trade in, and Wednesday Jack Taylor Toyota presented Guest House with a new Toyota Sienna covered with Guest House graphics.

“It’s so great! So wonderful!” said Guest House Executive Director Kari Galloway, who accepted the keys from John Taylor, Jack Taylor’s son at the showroom.

“It is amazing to see people do stuff like this in our community,” Taylor said. “We are lucky to be able to help out.”

Also attending the presentation were Guest House residents Tammy Harry, who hoped the new van would drive her to her first day at her new job at Chipotle’s later that day; Monica Moore, who had a job interview that morning; Melanie Ibrahim; Deanna Bounds and April Puckett.

Friends of Guest House, which is funded by private, local, and state funds, has had remarkable success. Whereas nationally 70 percent of nonviolent women released from jail return within a year’s time, only 10 percent of those who successfully graduate from the Friends of Guest House program return to jail, according to Galloway.

Guest House runs residential and outreach programs that help former inmates with job placement, education, counseling and other needs. A number of Alexandria businesses including Chipotle’s, Your Dog’s Best Friend, and Jack Taylor Toyota have hired Guest House graduates.

Jack Taylor Toyota is located at 3750 Jefferson Davis Highway.

PHOTOS:

John Taylor presents the keys Wednesday to a new Toyota Sienna to Kari Galloway, executive director of Friends of Guest House, at Jack Taylor Toyota in response to Guest House’s fundraising drive for a new van.

Guest House residents hold up the keys Wednesday to their new Toyota Sienna donated by Jack Taylor Toyota. Left to right: Tammy Harry, Monica Moore, Deanna Bounds, Melanie Ibrahim, April Puckett.