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This car will help others go far

DEVIN WEEKS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 6 months AGO
by DEVIN WEEKS
Devin Weeks is a third-generation North Idaho resident. She holds an associate degree in journalism from North Idaho College and a bachelor's in communication arts from Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d'Alene. Devin embarked on her journalism career at the Coeur d'Alene Press in 2013. She worked weekends for several years, covering a wide variety of events and issues throughout Kootenai County. Devin now mainly covers K-12 education and the city of Post Falls. She enjoys delivering daily chuckles through the Ghastly Groaner and loves highlighting local people in the Fast Five segment that runs in CoeurVoice. Devin lives in Post Falls with her husband and their three eccentric and very needy cats. | September 9, 2023 1:00 AM

The much-loved 1995 Acura Integra that carried Paul and Tiffany Kugler's firstborn home from the hospital will roll on to serve another local family.

"We clearly remember him in his car seat in the back," Tiffany said. "The years flew by and soon he was driving us in the black car."

The Kuglers donated their trusty Integra to Charity Reimagined's Rides for a Reason program. The Coeur d'Alene couple bought the car in 1996.

"This has been the only car I have purchased new and I have loved this car," Tiffany said. "It was serviced regularly at the Acura dealership for the first 15 years, then locally. It has very low mileage for its age at 143,000. It has always been kept in a garage."

Dependable and fun to drive, the Integra is starting to show some age, Tiffany said, especially the paint. It also needs a little work on brakes/rotors, air conditioning system and other minor repairs.

It's nothing the automotive technology students at the Kootenai Technical Education Campus can't handle. Through Rides for a Reason, the students will gain work experience to spruce up the Integra, which will then be sold for the price of parts to a family or individual who qualifies for the program.

"This is a beautiful car — with or without new paint on the hood and trunk — and it will become an invaluable asset for the family that buys it," Charity Reimagined founder Maggie Lyons said. "Finding reliable, used cars at an affordable price is impossible in the current used-car market for our low-income neighbors."

Tiffany said she hopes their donation inspires others to support Rides for a Reason.

"We love that high schoolers at KTEC are learning so much more than mechanics due to this program," she said. "It is a wonderful feeling to give a hand up to a family in need of reliable transportation and amazing for these students to have this experience firsthand. We are thankful that we could donate this car to a family in need and hope that others will consider doing the same."

Charity Reimagined is a nonprofit that works with other local churches and nonprofits to maximize efficiency when deploying resources to help people move from poverty to prosperity.

Info: charityreimagined.org

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