The Impala

RIP Impala

It is with heavy hearts that we inform the CYFM community that Genevieve the Impala made her final drive in early December when her transmission refused to cooperate for the last time. This Grey 2002 Chevy Impala, affectionately known as Genevieve, Impy, Mr. Impala, the OC, and probably a host of other, less affectionate names, faithfully served several years of Cap Corps Volunteers as their semi-reliable mode of transportation.

Life with Genevieve was always an adventure.  Besides conducting the CCVs’ daily commute along the stunningly scenic Route 9D as they admired God’s creation, drank coffee, and jammed out to Matt Maher, the Impala also travelled great distances to Boston, Middletown, CT, the far reaches of western upstate New York, and Long Island. To gain greater insight into the personality of life with this legendary car, past Cap Corps Volunteers have shared their memories of the Impala with us:

Lindsay recalls taking Mr. Impala to Long Island when a tsunami broke out and the speedometer stopped working.  

Lauretta looks back fondly on the times when the “gas gauge was straight up NOT working and it was basically Russian roulette” and how the Impala “always smelled of dead animals and fast food.”

Yes, the Impala’s generosity was limitless. At one point it apparently served as a mobile home for small animals. Courtney remembers discovering that it was a mouse’s nest that was causing flooding inside the car and frost build-up on the interiors of the windows!

Katie Rotterman enthusiastically remarks that the Impala housed one of the best CD collections known to CYFM.

The Impala has even made a cameo in a prayer service sketch called The Stranger’s Bargain. In the nearly deserted parking lot of a movie theater, the Impala’s engine “sputters, coughs, and then dies altogether,” leaving the main character vulnerable to an encounter with the devil. The history records are unclear as to which CCV wrote this script and how much of it is based on their personal experience…

One of the most thrilling tales involving the Impala has been recounted in many iterations by the 2014-15 CCVs.  They were stopped in traffic on the highway on their way to Interlaken, NY, when they realized the CD collection was in the trunk. Katie Cavazzini bravely volunteered to retrieve the CDs, only to find out that the trunk doesn’t open when the car is in drive. Katie experienced a deep sense of panic as she thought her community was going to drive away without her and leave her stranded on the highway.

                  Though our time with the Impala was short, this year’s group of CCVs can agree that Genevieve has left an indelible impression on our memories. We have seen her temperamental side since the time she shut off for no reason mid-drive only a week after our arrival. And in her final week, Paul, Amanda, and Val struggled to drive her the 0.6 miles to the Mobil on Main Street, creating a traffic jam and angering all the people behind us as she stubbornly shut off and had to be restarted every few feet.

The miraculous safety of all the Impala’s passengers can be attributed to the Sacred Heart medal kept in the compartment on the dashboard. Jesus, we trust in you!

Finally, we leave you with a few poems written for the Impala, in memoriam, by our very own Hollis:

Fit six CCVs

Left Katie on the highway

Transformed into boat

Check engine light on

Speedometer is broken

Let's go to Thrift King

If you wish to make a donation to CYFM in the Impala’s memory, please feel free to call Judi. We are currently accepting offers for a new community vehicle for the CCV’s. Thank you!