The Staff Behind The Wheel
April 1, 2026

"Just Doing Our Best": Meet The Staff Behind the Wheel

Every morning, before a single YouthBuild participant steps foot in the program, two staff members are already working.

They're checking tire pressure in a parking lot. Adjusting a side mirror that no longer holds its position. Unplugging a camera so the battery doesn't die overnight. They're thinking about traffic, about the commute from Centralia to Mount Vernon, about whether the van will make it — and about the young people counting on them to show up.

This is what transportation looks like at Spero Family Services. And the people doing it don't complain. They just do what it takes.

Beccah McConnaughay is a YouthBuild Case Aide and van driver. Her role goes well beyond getting participants from point A to point B. "I was hired on to YouthBuild as a van driver to transport participants from Centralia, Illinois to Mount Vernon," Beccah says. "I also drive participants to and from the work sites, tours, and community service projects. I also will take our participants to court, go get any legal documentation they may need, or take them driving so they can get their driver's license."
Every morning, she runs through her own checklist before the route begins.

"First thing in the morning when I get to work, before I start my morning, I am making sure the tires are full of air and that I plug in our camera," she says. "I do have to unplug the camera every time I get out of the van because it has been draining the battery, so I have had to jump start the van a few times. I also have to make sure the mirror on the driver's side is adjusted since the sensor does not work."

Despite all of it, Beccah works hard to make the ride feel like something worth looking forward to.


"I try to keep the vibe in the van light and fun by playing upbeat music off of my Spotify playlist and they enjoy that," she says. 


"We sing and have a great time. We also can get into some deep conversations after spending so much time together."


That time together matters. It's not incidental to the work — it IS the work.


Jamie Myers, YouthBuild Program Assistant, feels the same way.

"Picking up students and transporting them to YouthBuild is easily the highlight of my job," Jamie says. "I love using that time to truly get to know them and figure out how I can best support their future. We have a lot of fun and joke around, but behind the laughs, I want them to know I'm fully invested in their success and truly care about the work I do for them."


Safety is never far from Jamie's mind.


"Safety is my top priority for the students I drive," she says. "Before every trip to YouthBuild, I make sure the tank is full and do my best to check that the vehicle is in good mechanical shape. I always leave plenty of time for the commute, so we never have to rush. Above all, I want the students to feel completely secure and relaxed when they're riding with me, so I stay hyper-focused on the road and traffic at all times."

Jamie has been driving for YouthBuild since 2015, and she's seen the vehicles age over the last 10 years.


"The vehicles I am driving today are the same ones I started with over a decade ago," she says. "While we strictly follow scheduled maintenance, the vehicles are reaching a point where repairs can no longer mask their age. Their physical appearance is deteriorating, and more importantly, their reliability is failing. We have recently experienced minor breakdowns that required 'rescue' rides for our students, which is both stressful for the youth we serve and inefficient for our operations. Older vans become money pits as maintenance costs rise and fuel efficiency stays low."


She's proud of what the team does. And she's honest about its limits.


"I am proud of the work we do, but we are currently 'just doing our best' with equipment that is no longer up to the task."


Beccah puts it simply when asked what a better vehicle would actually change.


"[With a new vehicle I wouldn't be] worrying about the check lights coming on all the time" she says. "Just peace of mind in general while I drive, knowing my vehicle is safe for someone's child."


Someone's child. That's who is in the back seat.


Reliable transportation isn't a nice-to-have at Spero. It's the first step in showing a young person that someone cared enough to show up — safely, on time, and ready to invest in their future.


Support the people who show up every morning. Give through the Spero Giving Catalog today.

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