With a simple call and a shared mission, a Nebraska couple turned their old vehicle into continued support for quality journalism.
Family friends sold Avery and Mitchell Martin a purple 1998 Honda Odyssey minivan with an odometer that read 100,000 miles. “They were selling it for $800 but gave us a bargain. It was the best $600 we ever spent,” laughed Avery.
The couple packed in friends and gear as they traveled across the country, putting on an additional 100,000 miles and making lots of memories. “We loved that car!”
It was Mitchell’s idea to donate it to Nebraska Public Media. “He heard a spot on the radio and told me about it,” said Avery. She called the number online to arrange a pick-up time and place. “They came and got the van and loaded it onto a trailer. It was bittersweet, but we hadn’t been driving it.”
Avery said the process was easy, convenient and something the couple wanted to do. “Public radio is a good that we consume and we want to support it because we have the means,” she said.
Avery and Mitchell both grew up listening to public radio with their parents. She tuned the dial to WILL in Illinois where she grew up. Mitchell is from Milford, so he always listened to Nebraska Public Media. The two met as students at Goshen College in Indiana and married in 2021.
“We really enjoy the variety. We like music on World Cafe and On Point is one of our favorite programs,” she said, also noting that she’d listened to news on Morning Edition that day. “The quality of the journalists both on NPR and locally – you just can’t get that anywhere else.”
Avery is a big fan of legislative coverage and often listens to Fred Knapp’s legislative update when she returns home after finishing her shift at Lincoln’s Francie and Finch Bookshop. “It’s really important to me because we live in such a politically diverse area. I like to hear what is going on and what is impacting the people around me.”
In addition to the donation of their much-loved van, the Martins support the network with monthly gifts. “We want to see it continue,” said Avery.