barrett.newkirk@heraldbulletin.com

Amber Eckert won’t be borrowing her mom’s wheels any more.

The 23-year-old single mom had been living without her own car for a year and a half, making it tough to get to work and class at Ivy Tech Community College.

That changed Wednesday. Eckert’s situation made her an ideal beneficiary of the Acoat Benevolence Program, a national program coordinated by the Acoat paint company that gives a car and other perks to about 50 individuals.

“Here’s a young lady who needs some help,” said Dave Driggers, co-owner of Riley and Sons Collision Center, the company that provided the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina for Eckert. “She’s trying to raise a kid, trying to go back to school, trying to better herself.”

Winners must show a strong desire for self-improvement, Driggers said. They must also have no car of their own, be insurable and have a good driving record.

Along with the car, which Riley and Sons worked to make road-ready, Eckert also received car insurance and oil changes for one year, a $100 gas card and prizes or gift cards all donated by various local businesses.

“It’s beautiful; it’s awesome,” Eckert said after seeing the dark-green car for the first time.

Along with caring for her 2-year-old son Elijah, Eckert works full-time as a training supervisor at the Hopewell Center. (Her co-workers encouraged her to apply for the car giveaway.) She is also pursuing a degree in psychology at Ivy Tech.

With the new car, she said she’ll be able to take classes at Ball State or AAUP “and I won’t have to coordinate with other people, so that will be good.”

Eckert said she worried that using her mother’s car was putting a strain on their relationship.

Her mom, Tina Luis, was just glad to see her daughter get some recognition Wednesday.

“I’m happy for her,” Luis said. “She’s worked so hard, and if anyone deserves it, she does.”