RINCON, Ga. — When Nick Springer, program director at Treutlen House, asked 19-year-old Ansell Green to help move a piano Saturday morning, Green didn’t think much of it.

Treutlen House, a local group home that provides housing and support for teens aging out of foster care, has been Green’s home since he was 12.

Even when they pulled into the Our Place Pub parking lot where the Low Country Car Club was hosting a show, he wasn’t suspicious. Springer told him they would grab the piano after making a quick stop.

“I was just waiting until we got done,” Green said. “The cars were nice. I didn’t think anything was suspicious.”

Then police pulled over a familiar face — Kristen Wert, director of Treutlen House. Green watched, confused.

“I thought she was going to get a ticket,” he said.

Moments later, the confusion turned to disbelief. Green was handed the keys to a 2004 Acura MDX and told it was his.

The surprise was the result of a weeks-long effort by members of the Low Country Car Club, local businesses and residents across Effingham County who raised money, purchased the vehicle, repaired it and covered insurance costs. For Green — who is beginning an apprenticeship and moving toward independence — the gift removes one of the biggest barriers facing teens who grow up in foster care: reliable transportation. Organizers now hope it is just the beginning of an ongoing program.

A gift with intention

The idea began quietly.

In January, Nick Hitt was scrolling through Facebook when he saw a post about a young man from Treutlen House celebrating getting his driver’s license outside the DMV. The congratulations poured in, but something lingered in Hitt’s mind.

“Everybody was congratulating him and stuff like that,” Hitt said. “And I told Kelly, my fiancée, I said, ‘It’s bothering me.’”

Hitt didn’t know Green personally, but he understood what many teens aging out of foster care face. A driver’s license is one milestone. A dependable car is another — and far harder to obtain.

That conversation sparked what quickly became a countywide effort.

Hitt, who helps manage a small nonprofit through the Low Country Car Club, brought the idea to the club’s leadership: find a reliable vehicle and give it to Green.

“I looked up at the table, and guys are crying their eyes out, pulling out their checkbooks,” he said.

He asked each member two simple questions: What was your first car? And what did it mean to you?

The answers came as easily as their donations.

“Your first car is about independence and freedom and, you know, a sense of ownership,” Hitt said. “All those are things that young people in foster care want more than anything.”

For Hitt, the cause is personal. He said his own childhood was challenging, but he remembers people stepping up for him when he needed it most. Now, he hopes the gesture will ripple forward.

“That young man is going to remember this for the rest of his life,” he said. “And 20 years from now, he might be able to impact somebody else’s future.”

A community coming together

The search for the right vehicle led Hitt to Facebook Marketplace, where he found the Acura MDX. He later discovered it had once belonged to the father of Chip Wilkes, owner of Wilkes Body Shop.

When Hitt first tried to negotiate the price, the seller hesitated, saying he would need to talk to his wife. Then Hitt explained why he wanted the car.

“I asked him those two questions: What was your first car? What did it mean to you? And what do you think it’s going to mean in this case?” Hitt said. “After I asked him that, he said, ‘Man, I don’t have to ask my wife. Just come get the car.’”

With rising vehicle costs, purchasing a dependable car can feel nearly impossible for teens aging out of foster care. But in Effingham County, generosity ran deep.

After the purchase, local businesses stepped in to make sure the vehicle was safe and road-ready.

Matt Davis of Davis Tire inspected the SUV and determined it needed new CV axles.

“Advance Auto Parts in town hooked us up with an amazing discount,” Hitt said. “And Express Oil Change volunteered their time to install the axles at no cost.”

Coastal Window Tinting tinted the windows. Sound Advice installed a Bluetooth-capable stereo system. Kermit Auto Detailing spent five hours detailing the SUV and then filled the gas tank.

Then another hurdle emerged: insurance.

Members of the Low Country Car Club stepped up again. A local Veterans of Foreign Wars post passed the hat and donated. DeWitt Insurance, Edward Jones and individual residents also contributed.

In total, about $2,500 was raised — enough to cover six to eight months of auto insurance.

“It turned into a community effort,” Hitt said. “It’s not just me. It’s not just Kelly. It’s the residents of Effingham who made this happen, and it’s the small-business owners who made it happen.”

What it means for Green

For Green, the gift means more than transportation. It means relief — not just for him, but for those who have supported him for years.

He is currently working an apprenticeship at the Mitsubishi plant in Pooler and must report by 6 a.m. That has meant someone picking him up around 5 a.m.

“That’ll take some weight off their shoulders,” he said.

Green said life hasn’t always been easy, and he knows others face similar struggles. His advice is simple.

“Just keep pushing,” he said. “Surround yourself with a great support system.”

He encourages young people to lean on trusted friends and family members.

“You don’t have to go through it alone,” he said. “I know that’s how I was. I didn’t want a lot of help. I didn’t want to be a burden on other people.”

Over time, he said, he learned to open up — and he is grateful for the people who refused to let him do it alone.

“It feels good to have that type of support system around me,” he said.

Just the beginning

After speaking with Wert, whom Hitt described as “like a mom to them all” at Treutlen House, the vision expanded. The goal is not to make this a one-time gift but to create an ongoing program through the car club’s nonprofit to support young people as they age out of foster care or reach major milestones.

“We don’t want this to stop,” Hitt said. “There are so many needs that are met through our volunteers and the residents of Effingham County. I don’t want this to be a one-time thing.”

A Cash App account — https://cash.app/$LowCountryCC25 — has already been established for those who want to contribute to the next vehicle.

Originally from Biloxi, Mississippi, Hitt moved to Effingham County in 2019 to be closer to family. Since then, he said, he has seen firsthand the strength of the community.

For one young man, that strength now comes with keys in hand — and with them, independence, opportunity and proof that a community can change a life.