Chris Williams is living the American dream. Six years ago he started repairing cars in his spare time, and now he owns his own garage. But Williams isn't making a cent from his business.
Neither are any of the hardworking mechanics who repair cars in his shop. That's because Williams calls all the work they do at his charity, God's Garage, "an investment from the heart."
The idea for this unique charity came to Williams, a former pastor, when he was driving home from church one day. He pulled over to give a lift to a single mother and her child, who were walking home from the service. It turned out their car needed repairs, and they couldn't afford to fix it.
Williams says he's always loved to help people, so he decided to do what he could for that single mother by fixing the car. Soon he was fixing cars for more single mothers. After spending years as a small-time operation, God's Garage took a huge step forward this year.
This year, God's Garage opened a new 3,500 square foot work space.
Already, there are more than 300 women on the waiting list to have their cars repaired, but Williams' growing team of mechanics are hard at work. As the charity has grown over the years, God's Garage has opened its doors to even more women.
Single mothers, widows, and the wives of deployed military members can get their broken cars fixed free of charge. God's Garage also provides free cars to women who don't have one.
The charity survives by taking donations from their community in Conroe, Texas. Any cars that can be repaired cheaply are given away, any that can't are sold for scrap. The vehicles aren't exactly new, but they mean a lot to the women who rely on God's Garage for help.
One woman said that she used her donated car to drive her daughter to her cancer treatments. That means the charity helped save the young girl's life.
Williams admits that even the "big burly mechanics" in his garage shed a tear when they give away a car to someone in need.
"The women when they come to get the cars, you see the old guys, the tears start flowing and just the reactions to those ladies getting the car, that's what keep you coming back," volunteer Harvey Yaw says.
You can learn more about God's Garage on their website.
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[H/T: NBC4i]