Single mother welcomes donation of Dodge Caravan

The Warren day-care center donated a van to the needy mother.
By ROB MEYER
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
WARREN -- A 1992 Dodge Caravan may not seem like much to some, but for Deanna Behner, it's worth its weight in gold.
Behner, of Warren, is a single mother of eight children. Five weeks ago, she got a new job at Central Station, a new grocery store here. But she didn't have an automobile to get there.
She made do by walking, but a car would have been a welcome addition -- especially considering the need to take her children places they needed to go.
Behner, however, did not have the money to purchase a car. That's where Shepherd of All God's Children day-care center on Burton Avenue came into play.
Behner takes her six youngest children to the center when she goes to work. Kimberly Clinkscale, the center's director, has grown close with the Behner family.
One morning, Clinkscale was talking to some of the children about things they wish for.
"I asked them what was the one thing they would want if they had a wish," she said. "One of them said she wished her mommy had a van, so they could go places. That touched my heart."
Clinkscale was using the Dodge van to transport the children who attended the center. But she thought someone else needed it more -- so she decided to donate it to Behner and her family.
"I wanted to do whatever I could to help her," Clinkscale said. "A lot of people gave up on her. I see the good in her."
Behner said the donation has "changed her world."
"It's so hard to get help today," she said. "People say they'll help you, but then they give you excuses why they can't. I was so happy when I found out they were giving it to me. I wanted to cry. I probably did."
Getting the van was one of the steps Behner is taking to improve her life.
After moving to Warren 11 years ago from rural Orrville, Behner found it hard to adjust to life in a larger city. Rearing her five boys and three girls in a small, four-bedroom house didn't make things easier.
Her oldest child is 16. Her youngest is 1.
Before getting the job at Central Station, she worked for a Warren drugstore making $5.40 an hour.
"At one point, the important things were dish soap, laundry detergent and toilet paper," she said. "It got so bad that I started to think, which one I would go without if I can't afford all of them? Sometimes I didn't have other things. One time I said, 'No garbage bags this month.'"
She keeps trying
Though she still receives food stamps and medical aid, Behner admits it is difficult providing her children with the life she thinks they deserve.
"I know my kids need certain things, but I can't give them everything," she said. "The question is, how do you do it? I cry sometimes thinking about it. Some of my kids understand, some don't, and some are too young to understand."
Along with getting a better-paying job and the van, Behner has also been working on cleaning up the inside and outside of her home.
She recently planted flowers in her yard and her oldest son, Brian, cleans inside the house when she is at work.
Clinkscale hopes her donation to Behner will inspire people to help each other more. She also is attempting to get a new van for the center.
"We hope people see what we've done for someone else and decide to help us." she said. "I was blessed with this center. Giving the van to Deanna has built up her self-esteem. Her kids want to be able to go places like the zoo."
Behner said the gift is something she will cherish forever.
"It's like an early Christmas present," she said. "It's better actually. Now I go to the grocery store or wherever without having to find a ride.
"With all of my kids in the house, sometimes going to the grocery store can be like a vacation," she said, with a laugh and a smile.
rmeyer@vindy.com