Larisa Dickerson drove home in a free car she received from the Driven to Serve initiative.

Tampa veteran Larisa Dickerson drove home in a new car at the end of November as part of the Driven to Serve program.

The Driven to Serve program is an initiative led by Freedom Alliance and U.S. Bank to give cars to service members in need. Dickerson is the 52nd recipient of a new vehicle given through the program.

“A new, payment-free vehicle would lift a huge financial burden, allowing me to pay off debt, save for home repairs, retirement and my kids’ college,” Dickerson said. “It would mean not worrying about car breakdowns and better meeting daily responsibilities.”

Dickerson joined the Army after high school and was stationed in Texas and deployed to Iraq after becoming a military police officer in 2003. She was injured by an IED and medically retired from the Army afterward with a Purple Heart.

Tom Kilgannon, president of Freedom Alliance, said Dickerson stuck out as a candidate for the payment-free vehicle in several ways.

“She has just a tremendous personal story, somebody who grew up in challenging circumstances, worked hard, … took on great responsibilities as a military police officer and performed them well,” Kilgannon said.

Dickerson was referred to the program, but had to apply to confirm the details of the referral before she was given the car.

Kilgannon said giving the vehicle at Courtesy Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM to Dickerson the week of Thanksgiving was “a beautiful feeling.”

“To be able to help her with a vehicle like this and to relieve that financial burden and to honor her service is a tremendous feeling for us, and we’re just really grateful to be able to help somebody like Larisa this way,” Kilgannon said.

The partnership between Freedom Alliance and U.S. Bank is years old. Over 80 vehicles have been provided by U.S. Bank since 2018.

“It really means a lot to service members,” he said. “When they see members of the community come our and extend a hand of support, I think it makes them feel good and helps them remember their service.”

For more information on the Driven to Serve program, visit https://freedomalliance.org/military-support-programs/driven-to-serve/.

Previous articleConstruction Begins On The Gallery At South Tampa, A Premier Senior Living Community In Valrico
Next articleBolts & Blue Faceoff Against Hunger Event Scores Big For Tampa Bay Community
Lily Belcher
Lily Belcher
Lily Belcher is a writer for the Osprey Observer. She started as an intern in the summer of 2020 and has continued to write for the Osprey Observer since completing her internship. Lily is majoring in mass communications at the University of South Florida and is a staff writer for the university’s paper, The Oracle. She enjoys writing about local nonprofit organizations and community role models who have made an impact on her hometown.