Board of Directors
President – Eric Edwards
I have observed the work that Karen and Rick Mims have done for many years, helping people to get cars and keep them running. I was honored when they asked me to serve on the board when Driving Hope was formed. It is a blessing to be a small part of the work that removes obstacles to people being able to provide for their families.
I grew up watching Grand Prix racing and wanting to drive like my heroes. I always liked Sports Cars and have been able to enjoy a few over the years. But it would be impossible to enjoy those things, if I were not able to get to work so that the basics of life can be paid for or to take my child to the doctor when needed. This is why I think the mission of Driving Hope is so important.
Managing Director – Rick Mims
Since my childhood days, driving is everything I thought it would be whether it was a bicycle, go cart, motorcycle, car, truck or bus. My dad taught me to take pride in whatever make or model I could afford, and to take care of it. That advice, like most of my dad’s advice has proven valuable throughout my adult life.
In our society, we are best served by dependable transportation to get us from point A to point B. My wife and I have helped friends and acquaintance for several years to accomplish this by using our personal resources.
Some of those we helped began to donate back to the cause for others. This is when we began to understand God’s leading us to incorporate and become a non-profit organization. So, Driving Hope Inc was born.
Driving Hope Inc combines our Christian values of sharing the HOPE that is in Jesus Christ and using resources to provide basic automobile needs to families, individuals, ministries and missionaries.
Vice President – Thomas Weems
I grew up watching my dad and granddad help dozens and dozens of friends, family, and complete strangers find cars, fix cars, or swap cars. Many nights, my dad would drop the family off at home, and go back down the road to help a stranded motorist at midnight. Family friends would appear around town driving a car that my grandfather had recently purchased (always a generously-loved 1980s sedan, of course!). God had provided them enough means to help, and help they did. A college roommate with a disability that precluded him from driving demonstrated first-hand to me how hard daily life can be without the independence provided by a vehicle. I believe that providing for others using what God has provided for us is the path we are called to walk, or better, drive!
Secretary/Treasurer – Karen Mims
Giving and sharing is something Karen Mims learned from her parents and extended family. It is part of her Christian heritage. Over the years, she and her husband Rick Mims have been actively sharing with others and found themselves helping primarily with transportation needs. When those who had been helped began “paying it forward”, they saw an opportunity. Incorporating Driving Hope Inc was the avenue needed to provide assistance on a much broader scale.
Karen’s unique work history was a perfect fit for filling the position of Secretary/Treasurer. From her experience in accounting and secretarial to computers and project management, she provides the mechanics of the ministry and keeps the wheels of Driving Hope turning. It is Karen’s goal to help Driving Hope Inc grow into a valuable resource for sharing the God of Hope and meeting transportation needs of current and future generations.