Just Be Kind — Why Inclusivity Is Core to Our Mission

The Stranded Motorist Fund operates on a principle that sounds simple but carries real operational weight: Just Be Kind. It means we serve everyone who qualifies for assistance, regardless of their race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, immigration status, or any other characteristic that has nothing to do with whether their car runs.

This isn't a marketing statement. It's how we process applications, train volunteers, and make funding decisions every day.

Why This Matters in Direct Service

When a family applies to SMF for emergency vehicle repair assistance, we evaluate one thing: is this person in a transportation crisis that threatens their economic stability? That's it. We don't ask who they voted for. We don't ask where they worship. We don't ask who they love.

This might seem obvious, but in the nonprofit and social services landscape, it's not universal. Some organizations attach conditions to assistance — faith requirements, behavioral expectations, demographic restrictions. We've heard from applicants who were turned away elsewhere before they found us. When someone is already in crisis, the last thing they need is to be told they don't qualify for help because of who they are.

Operational Policy, Not Aspiration

"Just Be Kind" is embedded in our intake process, our volunteer training, and our partnership agreements. The phrase originated at Adam & Son Auto Repair, the shop where SMF was founded, and it carries the same weight here. Referring agencies — social workers, case managers, faith-based organizations, veteran services — know that when they send someone to SMF, that person will be treated with dignity and evaluated on need alone.

For donors and grant makers, this means your funding reaches the families who need it most, without arbitrary exclusions that leave gaps in service. Every dollar contributed to SMF is deployed based on urgency and impact, not filtered through criteria that have nothing to do with transportation.

The Community We Serve

Colorado Springs is a diverse community — military families, immigrants, retirees, young professionals, multi-generational households. Transportation crises don't follow demographic lines. A broken timing belt doesn't care about your background. Neither do we.

In practice, this means SMF serves veterans transitioning out of military service, single parents working multiple jobs, elderly residents on fixed incomes, refugees building new lives, and everyone in between. Our applicant pool reflects the full breadth of the community, and our commitment is to serve that full breadth without exception.

What We Ask of Partners

We extend the same expectation to our partners. Vendors who participate in ShopGiv, referring agencies who send clients to SMF, and volunteers who donate their time all operate under the same principle. Kindness is not selective. Service is not conditional.

For funders evaluating organizational values: SMF's inclusivity isn't a line in a diversity statement. It's a daily practice that determines who gets helped and how. We believe that's the only credible way to run a direct-service nonprofit, and we welcome scrutiny on that commitment.

If your funding priorities include equitable access to services, SMF's operational model aligns with that goal by design, not by accident.