Twelve single mothers in the Twin Cities received a holiday gift many families rely on every day but take for granted: a dependable car.

The giveaway is part of the annual "12 Moms of Christmas" event hosted by Newgate School in Minneapolis, a nonprofit automotive training school. The program provides vehicles to single mothers who are raising children while juggling life without transportation.

"I feel like people feel the pinch during the holiday season," said Tyla Pream, associate director of Newgate School.  "To be able to alleviate that pressure from someone is just an incredible feeling."

Some of these mothers rely on long bus commutes, while others depend on rideshare services.

The event is part of Newgate's Wheels for Women program, which has been donating, on average, a vehicle a month to single mothers for over two decades. Since 1997, the program has provided 790 vehicles to women in need.

"About six years ago, we partnered with a couple other dealerships in the metro area that have worked with Newgate as well. We knew they had a program for women and we wanted to help out more women," said Kelly Gulbrandson, director of community relations at Apple Autos.

The vehicles are donated by Twin Cities dealerships, including Apple Autos — Apple Ford Apple Valley, Lincoln Apple Valley, Apple Ford Shakopee, Apple Used Autos, Apple Ford White Bear Lake and Apple Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram — \as well as White Bear Mitsubishi, Volkswagen of Inver Grove, Friendly Chevrolet and Newgate School itself.

"Apple Autos donates directly to Newgate to help facilitate this program," Gulbrandson said. "It's the best day of my year. I got a chance to talk with these four moms this morning and each one of them is not only so overwhelmed. That feeling of 'I can take a deep breath and everything's going to be OK.'"

Recipients of the program are vetted and selected based on financial needs. These mothers must work full time, attend school or do both.

"I cried, I cried three times today," said Ayr'reyannia Morgan, 12 Moms of Christmas recipient. "It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders because Christmas is always a hard time for me." 

Morgan said she has been relying on rideshare services to get around and that this gift will help her with everything from school to getting her son to daycare.

Pream, who has been a part of 12 Moms of Christmas, says that hearing the stories from mothers in the past is what makes it all worth it.

"It just helps knowing this is my purpose here, to do this and help the moms," said Pream. "This gift has impacted their life, how having a vehicle has given them their freedom back, their time back."

Newgate School offers tuition-free automotive services to young adults and trains them in all aspects of automotive repair. Officials at Newgate said that the best way to help is by donating cars to the school.