EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WCIA) — South Side elementary teacher Darlene Coffin got a new car—courtesy of the Wheels of Prosper program.
Coffin has had her fair share of struggles these past few years. A death in her family and health issues are some. But throughout it all she continues to keep a positive outlook on life. She said getting a 2019 Dodge Journey was a blessing.
“My husband and I have been sharing a car for about a year and a half,” Coffin said. “We had wanted to buy a house so we sold my car so that way we could make that a successful dream.”
Coffin’s husband suffered a stroke in 2022. Between three different jobs, Coffin takes care of her husband and the tragic loss of her son who died of cancer in 2018 is another burden she’s carrying. Automaker and Wheels of Prosper organizer Mark Probst said choosing Coffin was honestly a chance encounter.
“I was in Darlene’s graduating class at Teutopolis High School in 1994,” Probst said. “A classmate had posted about Darlene going through some struggles. You know, just to pray for her and I couldn’t get it out of my head. Honestly, I say this, I tried to ignore it and I probably looked at that Facebook post a dozen times within a 24-hour period.”
Within a week, Probst and other auto workers in town decided this small gesture could be just the thing to ease Coffin’s struggles.
“I remember I was sitting watching the videos and I realized I had chills across my whole body and I’m not even present there,” CW Autosports owner Cody Willenborg said.
“What we would like to see come out of it is that other people also step up and do more. Pay it forward in whatever way that you can possible,” Teutopolis auto sales owner Phil Webster.
Coffin said the car is an added bonus to her busy schedule. But she’s even more grateful her community stepped up when she needed it most.
“I pray for blessings for everybody that has loved on us,” Coffin said. “And I just greatly appreciate every minute, every little deed has touched my heart somehow.”
Probst and other organizers say they’re definitely hoping Wheels of Prosper keeps rolling into next year.