Local mother of five in need tearful while receiving car as part of Thanksgiving program

CLEVELAND - A mother of five getting back on her feet was given a helping hand in the spirit of the season Monday.

Latesha Burrell received a refurbished car from Allstate and Sterling Autobody as part of their campaign to help provide families and charities in need with reliable transportation

"This is a blessing," a tearful Burrell said. "You are all like my guardian angels."

A smile lit up Burrell's face as hopped in the driver's seat of her new ride. Her current vehicle has almost 200,000 miles and would need thousands of dollars of repairs.

Burrell and her family are part of the Family Promise of Greater Cleveland Program, which they joined in April 2012 after relocating from Detroit.

In the program, Burrell worked to find a job and housing, moving into a home in July and getting a job at about the same time too. She has three daughters, ages 9, 7 and 3, as well as two sons, ages 5 and 1 1/2.

Losing her car was a big concern for Burrell that is now alleviated, allowing her to continue forward.

"Now I can get to the goals and where I wanna be in life," Burrell said. "This will help me get to that point and provide for my children."