Submitted photo Jenna Gardner, left, donated her 2010 Ford Edge SEL to Destiny Alexander, pictured with her mother Richelle Alexander and granddaughter Reagan Alexander. 

Destiny Alexander’s long drive from the House community to Scooba is a little easier, thanks to the generosity of a close family friend.

The East Mississippi Community College student is the proud owner of a white 2010 Ford Edge SEL, which arrived with a red bow on a Sunday afternoon in early October, courtesy of Jenna Gardner.  

The story starts several years ago when Destiny’s mother, Richelle Alexander, was working with Gardner’s daughter, Jacie, a student at Union Elementary School.

When Jacie was 15 months old, her mother was told her daughter would never walk or talk. The doctors were wrong, however, and when the little girl started school, she bonded with Richelle Alexander, a teacher’s assistant. 

Richelle Alexander was struggling with raising two children on her own after her husband died. Besides being a teaching assistant, she’s also a volunteer firefighter active in her church. But working with Jacie, she showed Gardner how selfless she was, so Gardner wanted to repay her kindness.

Gardner said she needed a new car anyway, so she instead of selling or trading in her old one, she decided to give it to the Alexanders, who were looking for a cheap car for Destiny, who needed it to attend funeral services technology classes at EMCC. 

“In my heart, I am not selling this car,” Gardner recalled.

When Gardner surprised the Alexanders with the car, valued at about $2,500, they were both in shock. Richelle Alexander said when they were going to Gardner’s house, they thought they were going to pick out a car to buy, but realized that wasn’t the case after seeing the car with a bow on it.

“It was awesome,” said Richelle Alexander.

Destiny Alexander said she was shocked because she didn’t really think that something like that would happen to her.

Gardner said the world needs more kindness, adding that one small sacrifice can create a domino effect.

“I feel like I am not missing anything, I feel like I gained,” Gardner said.