"Not having a car doesn't just limit the time you have in your day," she said. "It limits you even further, for the jobs you can get to." Sabrena Lloyd could drive to her barista job at Tampa International Airport in 25 minutes. But she can't afford a car, so instead the 42 year old leaves her two bedroom apartment north of Fletcher Avenue and catches one bus, then another, then a third, looping miles out of her way. It surprised her, just how complicated it was to get to one of the region's most popular destinations.
When everything goes perfectly, Lloyd spends five hours a day, six days a week, getting to and from work. She's kept it up for 2 ½ years, she loves her job, but wishes she could find something closer, or at least a way to pay for the extra care. She tallies up the hours in her head, 30 every week a full day that she might spend with her mom, use to run errands, or even work a second job.
30 hours a week
She clocks out at 7 p.m. and almost always misses the bus, unable to make it through security and down the escalators in time. The next one won't come for another half hour. Her feet ache from her eight hour shift. She hasn't eaten dinner yet. She yearns for the warmth of a shower as the temperature drops on one of the few cold nights of the year.
At home, her 56yearold mom has been alone for hours. After she lost both legs to diabetes, Medicaid began providing a nurse to watch her while Lloyd is at work. But that doesn't cover the five to six hours Lloyd spends traveling back and forth every day.
We Have Already $1,000 Raised and a donated car. Only $2,000 more is needed to complete the BuildACar repair and she can receive her "New to Her" Wheels.
(Story featured in the Tampa Bay Times)
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