Polk County mother decorates car for children in need

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — If you’ve driven through Polk County lately, you may have noticed a black Nissan Altima wrapped in Christmas lights and blue tape.

But if you take a closer look, it’s not your typical holiday decoration.

“So basically, there will be QR codes on the car, and if you take your phone and go to the QR code, a Linktree will pop up,” driver Rebecca Brown said.

Brown says she updates those QR codes often. Once people reach the landing page, they can donate money or a gift to a child in need. That includes children living on Third Street Southeast in Lakeland, an underserved mobile home community where Brown used to live.

Though toys are a plus, Brown says the goal is to make sure each family has basic necessities. She says she and her daughter, Skylar, decided to use their car as a fun way to grow community support to relieve parents of their financial burden.

“I know for a fact that one of the families, she has like six kids, and she’s just struggling day to day to pay bills. And I feel like she deserves that help. She deserves to see her kids happy,” Brown said.

As a mother of two, Brown knows firsthand how difficult the holidays can be. While she works to provide for her own kids this month, she says she plans to donate to the cause too.

“I’m willing to do that because I feel like they deserve it. Regardless of their past or their situation, no kid deserves to go without,” she said.

For Brown, that spirit of giving is something she carries year-round. She says not only does it take a village to raise a child, but it also takes one to keep them happy.

Brown plans to drop off donations to families before Christmas.