By Chad Koenen

Publisher

A vehicle received a second chance at life thanks to a local resident and staff members at AutoFix in Henning.

“(The person who donated the car) called and told us she wasn’t going to drive anymore and wanted to give us her car,” said Holly Weller of AutoFix. 

Since the donor, who asked the Citizen’s Advocate to not be named, was a customer at AutoFix and staff members at the locally owned shop knew what repairs were needed. Weller said their goal was to make the minor repairs, which staff members volunteered to do after hours or on the weekend, and give the vehicle to someone in need. 

“(Jeff) was generous enough to say they would take it,” said the donor. “Between the two of them they decided they would give it to somebody.”

While the donor didn’t necessarily request what should be done to the vehicle, staff members at AutoFix wanted to pay it forward by giving the vehicle to a person who needed a vehicle of their own. In order to get a wide range of potential people who needed a free vehicle, Weller said staff members reached out to churches and other organizations in town to see if anyone would need a different mode of transportation. 

“We just asked people if they knew anyone in need,” said Weller. 

After receiving input from people about potential candidates for the free vehicle, Weller said the vehicle was eventually donated to a single mother in the area who was borrowing a vehicle when needed. When Weller reached out to the person who received the free car she said the person was taken aback at the generosity of the greater Henning community.

“She called back and said ever since moving here this community has been incredible and was in tears,” she said.

In order to make the purchase completely free to the recipient, Weller said AutoFix paid all of the necessary taxes and registration for the vehicle, as well as covered the expenses related to making repairs on the vehicle.