School monitor Stan Meeks receives his ride thanks to a generous community

EDWARDSVILLE - Stan Meeks, a security monitor at Edwardsville, has new wheels.

A GoFundMe campaign was established recently for Meeks and as of Monday, Feb. 18, it has raised $10,763 of the $15,000 goal. Meeks, a 69-year-old who has worked more than 25 years as an Edwardsville area school monitor, had a car break down for good at the start of the winter. He was walking/taking a bus to work in very low temperatures. Friends of Stan decided to reach out to the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon area to see if they could raise enough funds to get him a new ride.

On Saturday, Feb. 9, Stan got a new car, thanks to all the contributors to his GoFundMe campaign for Meeks.

“It's a 2014 Scion xB, which is a cross between a hatchback and SUV. It's pearl black (his favorite color) and in super nice condition with only 36,000 miles,” a representative for the campaign said on the GoFundMe page. “It came with a 3-year, 36,000-mile warranty. Stan used the GoFundMe money for the bulk of the purchase and made up the rest with a small loan. Any additional proceeds will go toward the loan and warranty.

“Stan is thrilled and so appreciative of all the kind-hearted people who helped him in this time of need. He was grinning ear-to-ear when he left the dealership. A cool aside: Stan bought the vehicle from Jerome West, a salesman at Auffenberg in Belleville and an ordained minister. Jerome reached out to us because he remembered "Mr. Meeks" from his days at Edwardsville High School. Jerome was so professional, friendly and helpful.”

The spokesperson continued and said: “As many of you know, Stan is an unassuming guy, and when told of the generosity and support that people have shown, he was absolutely amazed. We appreciate not only the $100 and $200 gifts but also the $5 and $10 ones. Also, some of you sent notes that reached us via email but aren’t appearing in the comment section. We want you to know that we read all of them and thank you for the kind words.”

Anyone else who wants to donate to Stan’s cause can click here:

https://www.gofundme.com/give- stan-a-lift

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