Perry Whitaker is on the road to rebuilding his life.

The founder and owner of A Step Above LLC, Mr. Whitaker’s life took a turn after he was incarcerated from 2015 to 2022 for possession of controlled substances. He lost his driver’s license in the process and endured an uphill battle to get it back and find employment.

Today, a year after his release in June 2022, Mr. Whitaker has found a new future through faith, community and the aid of an organization that helped him regain his driver’s license.

Mr. Whitaker was among several Drive to Work clients who recently gathered at The Jefferson Hotel for the group’s annual Second Chance luncheon. Politicians and judges also attended the event that celebrated Drive to Work’s success in aiding their clients.

For Mr. Whitaker, staying focused was key.

“I just continued to push and push and push,” Mr. Whitaker said, as he shared his journey. “Working is therapy for me — I’m at peace and I just love it.”

The luncheon was just one of many initiatives provided by Drive to Work, which since its founding in 2007, has sought to help the formerly incarcerated and low-income residents regain driver’s licenses and privileges necessary for travel and work.

The organization was founded by former Virginia Secretary of Public Safety O. Randolph Rollins, who served under Gov. L. Douglas Wilder’s administration.

While Mr. Rollins did not attend the luncheon, other high-profile guests included Virginia Sen. Lamont Bagby, Delegate Betsy Carr, and others who came to show their support for Drive to Work’s mission and accomplishments.

“In this room, we share a common belief that everyone deserves a second chance, regardless of the challenges they have encountered in life,” Drive to Work Chairman Sharon L. Burr said. “The ability to drive is often taken for granted. But for many, it’s a key to self-sufficiency and a fresh start.”

In the 16 years since its creation, Drive to Work has grown to serve 97% of Virginia’s cities and counties, as well as 34 other states and the Washington, D.C. area. Over 14,400 people have sought the group’s help to regain or work toward their driver’s licenses in that time, with 28 licenses restored between July 2022 and June 2023.

The correlation between transportation and job opportunity is the cornerstone of Drive to Work’s many initiatives. From in-person and online driver instruction and improvement courses, re-entry education through collaboration with groups such as the Department of Corrections and the Dignity of Work Foundation, the group works on multiple fronts to provide restoration and renewal for those in need.

“It took two years to get my driving privileges reinstated,” said Kenneth Judkins Sr., who lost his driver’s license in October 2003 due to driving under the influence. “I now have my own handyman service.”

“Thank you for a second chance,” he told the audience.

Drive to Work is in the midst of its latest endeavor, the Blue Ridge Mile program, which focuses on the systemic issues faced navigating the courts and DMV to regain or obtain driver’s licenses. The program first started with a pilot partnership between Drive to Work, Buena Vista General District Court and Washington & Lee University’s Shepherd Program for Poverty.

W&L students trained by Drive to Work have helped residents going through the legal process to gain or restore their driver’s licenses since 2022, with 61 clients assisted and seven licenses restored as of January.

“I don’t see any benefit in putting someone in jail or putting more suspension time on someone who doesn’t have a driver’s license,” said Buena Vista District Court Judge Robin Mayer, who was inspired to find solutions after seeing people repeatedly return to court with no progress in getting licenses, leading to client frustration and oversized caseloads.

“With 10 people on every docket I just needed a little help.”

The program has already expanded to the Lexington/Rockbridge General District Court since it started a year earlier and was recognized with a Leyburn Award from Omicron Delta Kappa for outstanding community service and leadership in March.

While Drive to Work has made strides to address the chal- lenges of license restoration, there remain several aspects of that process that are inefficient, obfuscated or make the effort more difficult for all involved.

Drive to Work President and CEO Sara R. Wilson highlighted several current issues the group will address in the future, in- cluding driving while suspended cases that get purged from the legal system due to their age, issues in customer service, and the financial toll and frequent travel needed to get driver’s licenses, among other problems.

As such, Drive to Work plans to advocate for a number of measures in the year ahead and beyond, a temporary restricted license for motor vehicle-related civil judgments and improving communication between the courts and the Department of Mo- tor Vehicles when it comes to these cases and the information needed.

“The goal at the end of the day is to help people get their licenses and be valuable, contributing members of society,” Ms. Wilson said. “And feel good about themselves and achieve and accomplish a goal.”