Initially, the focus was providing home repair in order to allow these individuals to live in a safe environment with their children and reside independently.  Our time spent with these single parents and widows quickly revealed that our original plan to provide automobile repair in the future needed to happen sooner rather than later.  What we learned was that the majority of single parents and widows did not own their own home but rented instead.  Most single parents and widows did however, own an automobile.  The following problems were identified:

• Automobiles were 10-15 years old and because of limited financial means the vehicles could not be maintained; the safety and longevity of the vehicle was compromised; needed repairs were not being made.
• Market rate for repairs was $80 - $100 per hour.  Single women are often taken advantage of relating to the diagnosis and repairs made or not made on their automobiles.
• These conditions often cause single mothers to lose their jobs, often forcing them to take their children out of school and to depend on government assistance.

In consultation with the Board, volunteers, community businesses and churches, our car repair program was formed to provide quality, timely repairs by certified mechanics.  Shortly thereafter, we started our quarterly Car Care Clinics which provide maintenance for automobiles preventing costly repairs.   

Significant progress has been made in both the numbers of repairs we are able to make each year and the efficiency in which we are able to make those repairs.