A group formerly called Free to Be, a Blaine nonprofit that gives donated cars to needy Anoka County residents and also does repairs, long struggled with its enigmatic name.
Executive Director Jim Huff said the words "Free to Be" weren't self-explanatory. People didn't immediately understand how the name related to the organization's charitable mission, which in turn made it hard to build awareness about the group. That was the catalyst for a rebranding and marketing push, "to lift up our message," said Huff.
The group is now Cars for Neighbors, a name it unveiled at a Sept. 11 fundraiser — a pig roast and wine tasting at the Courtyards of Andover. The event, which drew nearly 200 people including three of five founders, had the theme "A proud past and a strong future."
Cars for Neighbors also is planning a ribbon-cutting event Oct. 28 at the Meineke auto repair shop in Ham Lake, where much of the group's hands-on work takes place. Meineke donates space, expertise, tools and more.
Fifteen auto repair shops help get the donated cars up and running, and several local companies offer parts at a reduced rate. In addition, volunteer mechanics show up to repair vehicles during Car Care Saturdays twice a month. "That's how we're able to do what we do," Huff said.
The name Cars for Neighbors is more explicit about "who we are and what we're trying to accomplish" than Free to Be, said Huff. "We really wanted the messaging to show that we're helping people right in the community."
Those who benefit from the program are "our neighbors, with kids who go to school with our kids. They stand next to us in the grocery store aisle and they sit next to us in the worship service at church," he said.
The organization received $23,250 last year from the Anoka County Community Action Program (ACCAP) to undertake the project. Free to Be hired Nerland Co., a Minneapolis advertising agency, to develop a new website, logo and the tagline "Restoring hope one car at a time." The project also has included various print materials, an aggressive social media campaign and a broader media/PR plan that has yet to launch.