Gina & Jo

For more than 25 years, sisters Gina and Jo have been giving their time to other people. From volunteering with the Salvation Army to supporting animal rescue and collecting items for an African orphanage, helping others has simply become part of their lives.

Recently, though, a series of setbacks left the Adelaide sisters needing some help of their own. After their home and car were targeted by theft and vandalism, their vehicle was damaged to the point where it could no longer be driven.

This month, through Cars for Good, the team at easyauto123 Mile End surprised Gina and Jo with a bright yellow MG3, giving them back some of the independence and connection they had lost.

When Getting Around Became Difficult

Being without a car came at a particularly challenging time. Gina is recovering from a stroke, while Jo lives with Bell's palsy and experiences some mobility difficulties.

Public transport provided an alternative, but not an easy one. Ongoing roadworks in Adelaide have disrupted bus services and getting on and off buses can itself be difficult for the sisters. A journey to the Salvation Army Unley Corps that takes around 15 minutes by car can involve two or three buses and, on a Sunday, take almost half a day.

Over time, that began changing what Gina and Jo could realistically do. Visiting friends became harder, weekends were increasingly spent at home and the volunteering that had been such an important part of their lives became more difficult to continue.

Their friend Jean could see the impact and nominated the sisters for Cars for Good.

A Surprise At The Salvos

There seemed no more appropriate place for the surprise than The Salvation Army Unley Corps, where Gina and Jo volunteer. Colin, who helped coordinate the handover, arranged for the sisters to arrive while the wider team gathered to share the moment with them.

Waiting for them was a bright yellow MG3.

Gina and Jo were completely shocked when they realised the car was theirs.

“Oh my goodness, is this ours?”

What happened next said a lot about the two sisters. Rather than talking about what the car would mean for themselves, they immediately asked:

“What can we do for you?”

They began talking about how they could use the MG3 to help other people, providing transport to hospital appointments, helping with shopping or simply getting friends where they needed to go.

The reaction from the Salvation Army team also showed just how much Gina and Jo mean to those around them. One volunteer summed up the moment perfectly:

“This is a miracle!”

Back To Doing What They Do Best

The MG3 will make many of the ordinary things Gina and Jo have struggled with considerably easier. Appointments, visiting friends and getting to the Salvation Army no longer need to be planned around multiple buses and disrupted services.

More importantly, it gives them the opportunity to become more involved in their community again.

That's what makes their story special. Gina and Jo may have been given the keys, but they're unlikely to be the only people who benefit. Their first instinct was to think about who else they could help, which tells you a lot about why Jean nominated them in the first place.

After more than 25 years spent giving their time to others, this was an opportunity to give something back to them.

The sisters were also particularly pleased with one feature of their new MG3: its unmistakably bright yellow paintwork.

“At least we won't lose it!”

From everyone at easyauto123, we're proud to support Gina and Jo through Cars for Good and help them get back to doing what they do best: helping others.