TAMPA BAY , Florida ( CNN ) -- Judging by her proud expression as she left the parking lot in her 1991 Honda Accord for the first time , Jessica Ostrofsky could have been driving a brand new sports car . Susan Jacobs ' Wheels of Success program helps low-income workers get their own cars . `` I 'm so happy , '' she said with a laugh . `` Having this [ car ] is going to change my life drastically because it 's going to make me totally independent . '' Ostrofsky , 31 , a single mother of three , had been leaving her house before dawn -- toting a stroller , car seat , diaper bag and purse -- to catch a bus . She would go first to her children 's baby sitter and then to work . The trip took up to three hours . But on Labor Day , the St. Petersburg , Florida , resident and 19 others received their own cars , thanks to Susan Jacobs ' Wheels of Success program . Since 2003 , Wheels of Success has refurbished 280 donated cars for low-income individuals and families and helped another 280 clients with vehicle-related services . `` Receiving ... the car is more than just the car , '' said Jacobs . `` People literally see how it 's going to change their life '' by knocking down an obstacle that had gotten in their way due to lack of transportation . Jacobs would know . The 59-year-old Tampa resident lost access to reliable transportation more than a decade ago when she ended a relationship and left her car behind . While staying with a friend who lived far from a bus line and across town from Jacobs ' evening job , she had to hitch rides to work . That did not last long , Jacobs said , thanks to a used car dealership owner who loaned Jacobs three clunkers while she saved the money to buy her own car . But soon she saw others in a similar predicament . In 2000 , as the manager of a staffing agency , Jacobs was struck by the high number of clients who lost jobs in which her office had placed them because they could n't always get there . Others turned down positions and promotions because limited public transportation kept them from early or late shifts . Jacobs was laid off from her job at the staffing firm in 2001 and turned it into an opportunity to figure out how to `` keep working families working . '' She founded Wheels of Success in 2003 with two donated cars . The organization gives low-cost , donated and refurbished vehicles to qualified full-time workers or those with job offers . Employers or social service agencies refer the applicants to the group . Once they receive their vehicles , they must make low monthly payments based on their personal budgets . Those contributions average $ 40 and go toward repairing cars for other recipients . `` These are used cars . They 're not going to last forever , '' said Jacobs . `` What I tell people is , 'This probably is n't your dream car , but hopefully it 's going to get you to your dream . ' `` Jacobs ' group is able to restore donated clunkers to roadworthy operation by partnering with local companies and corporations that help provide auto body work at significantly discounted rates . Wheels of Success cars come with a free , one-year membership to the American Automobile Association . The organization also helps clients with ongoing repair , licensing , insurance and replacement of a car when it dies . Watch how Jacobs and her group provide working wheels for families » . Clients are required to complete a car maintenance class and donate three volunteer hours to Wheels of Success per month . This helps the group serve more clients and gives each recipient the ability to `` pay it forward , '' said Jacobs . On any given day , Jacobs reports about 100 qualified recipients on the waiting list for vehicles . About 60 new requests come in every other month . `` We would like nothing better than for there not to be a need for us , '' she said . `` But that is n't realistic in the near future and might not be realistic even long-term for people who have three children and day care . '' And recipients agree . `` Susan Jacobs is actually saving my life [ because ] she 's saving my job , '' said Ostrofsky , who had been consistently late arriving to work because of the inconsistency of her bus 's arrival . `` In turn , she saves my apartment and saves me taking care of my children . '' Watch Ostrofsky receive her Wheels of Success car » . For Jacobs , seeing the results of her work inspires her . `` I love what I do , '' she said . `` My life has made a difference . '' Want to get involved ? Check out Wheels of Success and see how to help .
Chris Jacobs created Wheels of Success to help low - income workers get cars . The organization gives donated , used vehicles to qualified applicants . Use of cars often gets in the way of people making a living , Jacobs says . The top 10 Car Heroes will be announced on October 1 .