A Car Repair Center For Those In Need

The Lift Garage opened a third bay to allow for more customers.

I think all of us know what it's like when our car goes on the fritz. It's off to the repair place, with the hope that fixing it won't break the piggy bank. But what happens when you live on a fixed income, or are barely getting by on minimum wage?

Minneapolis has the answer. In her job as social worker, Cathy Heying had seen what havoc car problems could provide for people on low incomes. It affected their jobs, their health, and sometimes the roof over their heads. She kept wishing that someone would do something. But then she realized, "Oh, dang, I think that somebody might be me." So, she quit her career as social worker and went back to school to learn auto technology back in 2008.



With graduation completed, Ms. Heying founded THE LIFT GARAGE. It may be one of very few, if not the only, nonprofit auto repair garage in this country. It is available to low-income Minnesotans in need of car repair services, and its aim is to help its customers move out of poverty and away from the threat of losing permanent shelter.

Providing low cost auto repair means that The Lift Garage charges only $15/hour for labor, compared to $100/hour charged by other repair shops. Parts are provided at cost, with no markup. It averages out to repair costs that are 33% lower than what other garages charge. Since it has been opened in 2013, this Garage has saved customers more than $150,000. That's money that its low income clients can really use to help them get back on track and maintain their current lodgings. That's money that can be spent on food and health care, instead of paying off a lingering debt.

Members of the Minnesota Opportunity Corp raised over $1600 for The Lift Garage.

But that's not all. It also connects its customers to community partners, which increase the supports available to them, and it links customers to other needed resources. Ms Heying has written down the plan of how she came to establish The Lift Garage as sort of an instructional template of what is involved in establishing this service in other areas of the country. The group relies on donations and volunteers. Their biggest needs are for certified auto mechanics who can donate their time; office assistants; and committee members who can help with fund-raising activities, grant-writing, and finances. Donations are also accepted. By the way, Ms. Heying was among those recognized by CNN as a Hero.

A group of WI women visit The Lift Garage and plan to open something similar back home.

Thanks to this article by CNN Heroes: http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=6413; and the above link.

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