This grassroots ‘village’ helped a single mom drive away with a new car

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (InvestigateTV) - It’s not like an episode of Oprah, but for single moms like Caroline Reed, it feels pretty close.

She was gifted with a white car topped with a big red bow, all thanks to Amanda Todd and her village.

To understand the gift is to learn about the journey.

“My heart has always been to help single moms. Every single mom’s story is different,” said Todd.

Helping single moms like her friend Reed isn’t what Todd does; it’s who she is.

“Beyond support and encouragement, they need help with the more expensive items,” she said.

Todd created “Their Village Helpers for Single Moms” Facebook group and trusted her faith and her followers to raise money to buy them cars.

“I was like, do me a favor and take this challenge; let’s get a mom a car,” she said. “Find something in your house that you can sell on Facebook, then Venmo me the money or drop it off on my porch.”

The group also had yard sales, and Todd even shrimped for cash. She also launched her business, Color Connection, where she finds women’s most flattering colors for clothes and makeup. Every penny of profit fuels her mission.

They raised $4,000 to put their first mom behind the wheel, and now they’ve doubled that amount.

The group masked the surprise at Reed’s birthday dinner and took her outside for the big reveal. It was nothing but happy tears and complete shock for a mom who, like Todd, is always showing up for others.

This time, the community showed up for her, including Coastal Grand Auto Sales, which not only helped with the car but also sweetened the gift with a two-year warranty.

The women then took the car for a spin. Reed said the real gift isn’t the car itself, but the peace of mind that comes with every turn of the key.

“To get into a car that’s now yours and not have to worry about stopping on the side of the road or just not being able to pick up Zee, it’s just something I never thought I’d be able to have,” she said.