In December 2016, Jerry Greeff and his wife, Pam, donated their $2.5 million business, One-Stop Auto Repair, located in the Waverly section of Baltimore City, to Halethorpe-based Vehicles for Change. With the donation came the business’ forklifts, tools, scanners and office equipment – but not the building itself.
Thanks to contributions from the Maryland Department of Health, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and a private donor, Vehicles for Change has completed the building’s purchase.
Vehicles for Change initially leased the property to operate its automotive training program for formerly incarcerated individuals and social enterprise venture, a fully-functioning auto repair shop open to the public. A Bureau of Justice study found out of 404,638 individuals released from prison in 30 states, more than 67% were rearrested within their first three years of release.
However, out of the more than 120 interns to complete Vehicles for Change’s program, only two individuals have gone back to prison.
“Completing the purchase of our Greenmount garage will provide a significant cost savings to Vehicles for Change each month,” said Martin Schwartz, president of the organization. “More important, though, is the opportunity to have a permanent home in Baltimore and expand our training opportunities for returning citizens.”