Anna-Lisa and Wes Barrier (at right) of Revive the Drive, with volunteers (from left) Tom and Simon Shepherd
Wes Barrier has been working on cars since he was 15 years old. By day, he works in cybersecurity for Dominion Energy, but after hours he’s often under the hood of an old car or behind the wheel of his 1995 Toyota MR2 Turbo.
One Sunday morning about four years ago, at Hill City Church near Willow Lawn, Wes heard the message “Use your gifts and talents for God,” and his first thought was of cars.
“He turned to me and said he wanted to buy an old car, fix it up and give it away to someone in need,” Anna-Lisa Barrier, now his wife, recalls.
Not long after, Wes found a Subaru Legacy online for $650 and asked Anna-Lisa to go with him to pick it up. “When we got there, we were just really taken with the seller and her 11-year-old son,” Anna-Lisa recalls. “She was in a really tough place financially. She wasn’t expecting to have the transmission blown and couldn’t afford a payment on another car.”
Wes bought the vehicle, took it home and got to work. He rebuilt the motor, replaced the transmission and cleaned up the restored car before surprising the single mother by giving it back to her, no strings attached. “After meeting them, it just felt right,” he says.
It’s not lost on Wes that the first car they donated was a Legacy, he says. Soon after, the couple decided to create their own legacy by launching the nonprofit organization Revive the Drive. In their first year, they have restored and donated five vehicles for families in need.
Without a car, everyday life — getting to work, taking kids to school activities and going to the grocery store — becomes a challenge.
“In Richmond, about 1 in 4 people don’t have access to a vehicle and have to rely on public transportation, which isn’t very extensive in a city our size,” Anna-Lisa explains.
Even those who own a car may find that keeping it running is difficult. The Barriers have met families who have scraped together their savings to buy a used car from Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, only to have it break down soon after. “They’ve put everything into that car,” Anna-Lisa says, “then suddenly they have no money and no vehicle. It’s devastating.”
Wes Barrier and volunteer Ion Hottle at work on a restoration
Revive the Drive has grown through strong grassroots support, fueled by donations of vehicles, auto parts and supplies. Wes and a few dedicated volunteers work on cars after their day jobs, usually on Tuesday nights in the Barriers’ home garage.
While the repairs are underway, Anna-Lisa focuses on building partnerships with local nonprofits. These organizations help vet recipients and ensure they’re prepared for the responsibilities of car ownership, from insurance to maintenance.
“A free car is still a big financial commitment,” Anna-Lisa says. “We’re passionate about setting people up for long-term success. So many Richmond organizations are already providing that holistic care.”
So far, Revive the Drive has partnered with approximately 15 local organizations, including nonprofits that support refugees, domestic abuse survivors and youth aging out of the foster system.
Each delivery day is a celebration. Wes tows a trailer bearing the car, topped with a giant bow and stocked with essentials such as gas cards, cell phone chargers and first-aid kits. Sometimes, donors and recipients meet — a tender moment that’s both joyful and emotional.
“I’m a crier and tear up just thinking about it,” Wes says. “We don’t just want to give them a car, we want to give them some hope.”
Despite great demand in Richmond, Revive the Drive remains small, limited to the Barriers’ garage. “There’s so much need. You wouldn’t believe the emails we get on a daily and weekly basis,” Wes says. “The hardest part is having to say no to people. That’s what pushes us to grow.”
Anna-Lisa recently stepped away from her career as a travel agent to focus more on the nonprofit, hoping to create a sustainable model that can be replicated in communities across the country. She’s also looking for local dealerships or mechanics to donate shop space to expand their capacity. In the future, they plan to host free oil change events and launch a hands-on educational program called Lemonaids to consult with families about buying preowned vehicles.
Through it all, they’re driven by a deeper purpose.
“The work has kept us grounded to our local community,” Wes says. “We hear so much negativity on the national news, but when you go out and meet people, you see there’s a lot more good in the world than bad.”
“You just have to look for it and be part of it,” Anna-Lisa adds.
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