Keeping Families Covered, Closs Tire & Auto team up for child car seat safety initiative
- May 6, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: May 17, 2022
WAUKEGAN -- DAILY HERALD -- Keeping Families Covered and Closs Tire & Auto are joining forces to ensure that families struggling to afford car seats not only can obtain them, but also receive professional instruction on their secure installation.
Sue Dickson, owner of Closs Tire & Auto in Waukegan, completed last summer a 30-hour National Child Passenger Safety technician certification course offered through Safe Kids. She and Ann Marie Mathis, founder and CEO of Waukegan-based Keeping Families Covered, know one another through a business networking group called BNI, or Business Network International.
"We were talking and realized that this would be a great way for us to partner up," said Mathis, whose organization not only provides hundreds of thousands of diapers and period supplies annually to families in need, but also provides new car seats.
"I can't tell you the number of people who come to our mobile diaper pantries with young children who are not in car seats," Mathis continued. "Our new collaboration will be a way to ensure that people not only have the equipment that they need, but also that their seats are installed properly and safely."
Through an Illinois Department of Transportation grant, Dickson also has access to free or reduced-cost car seats, which go for $70 or more at most retailers.
The women said that their effort will serve clients who are referred through any of the dozens of community partners working with Keeping Families Covered. Listed under "About Us" on keepingfamiliescovered.org, the partnering entities include churches, governmental agencies and charities working throughout Lake County and beyond.
Keeping Families Covered will provide vouchers to referred clients, Mathis said. Voucher recipients then will schedule an appointment with Closs Tire & Auto to pick up their new seat and receive installation instruction -- all free of charge.
"This is a way to give back to the community," Dickson said. "We want to educate consumers, keep kids safe and help save lives."
Dickson added that each installation-and-instruction session typically takes about 45 minutes and includes a thorough safety check of all tethers, hooks, buckles and fasteners for the seat provided. Appointments will be available Wednesdays, and voucher recipients will be provided with the number to call.
It is heartening to see local businesses like Closs Tire & Auto partnering with community organizations to prioritize child safety; initiatives like this truly highlight the importance of social responsibility and community welfare. This kind of grassroots support is a perfect example of the social dynamics we often analyze in sociology and cultural studies, though the academic side of exploring these community relationships can be quite demanding. I’ve known several students who were so inspired by local outreach programs that they wanted to base their research on them, but they often needed a bit of help with humanities assignment projects to properly structure their arguments about social impact and civic duty. Thank you for sharing such a positive story—it’s a great…
This is such an inspiring initiative by Closs Tire & Auto and Twice As Nice Mother & Child! Supporting families through car seat safety not only shows community responsibility but also highlights great leadership values in action. It reminds me how practical examples like this can enhance understanding in my leadership and management assignment, where we study how ethical decision-making and teamwork drive real change. The collaboration perfectly demonstrates how local businesses can use their influence for the greater good. At New Assignment Help UK, I’ve learned that leadership isn’t just about managing—it’s about uplifting others and making a meaningful social impact. Truly commendable work that sets a strong example for future leaders!
What a beautiful example of community coming together for something that truly matters — child safety shouldn't be a privilege, and this partnership between Keeping Families Covered and Closs Tire & Auto proves that real change happens when people lead with heart. The fact that so many children were showing up to diaper pantries without proper car seats is a sobering reminder of how interconnected basic needs really are — it's never just one thing. Sue's dedication to completing that 30-hour certification shows genuine commitment beyond a business transaction. It reminds me of how students who access free assignment samples for college students through New Assignment Help UK realise that the right guidance, freely given, can make all the difference…
I found the part about the partnership between Closs Tire & Auto and Twice As Nice really interesting, especially how the initiative focuses on proper child car seat installation rather than just distributing the seats. It’s easy to assume people already know how to use them correctly, but the article highlights how small details in installation can make a huge difference in safety. I kept thinking about how community programs like this quietly solve everyday problems that don’t always get much attention, even though they affect so many families. It also made me think about how topics like road safety or child passenger protection sometimes come up in school discussions or presentations, the kind of real-life issues that could easily…
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