Car Works is a compassion program located at the Northend Community Center that provides assistance to community members who have automotive problems and are experiencing financial hardship. These individuals may have a job, pay their rent, and keep food on the table, but they seldom have enough money left over for preventive maintenance on their cars – and even less for major automotive repairs.
In order to bless others in this way, however, we must have a viable and sustainable business plan. Our revenue model is to take in vehicles that are donated in support of our program and sell them in 2 distinct modes or markets:
- Compassion Sales – selling a vehicle at up to 50% under its value to those in need
- Market Sales – higher value vehicles sold at or near market value to support Car Works
Car Works of Lafayette accomplished a great deal in our first year of operation.; following is a brief overview of how the Lord has used this ministry to bless others.
Who We’ve Served
In our first full year of operation we served 156 individuals with some type of automotive/financial need:
- Single Mom’s who needed their vehicles serviced to get to work, transport their children, get critical medical care, etc.
- Individuals on fixed-incomes and/or disability who had critical needs that exceeded their monthly income
- Young and new parents with medical expenses that kept them from being able to afford typical repair services
- Homeless individuals who desperately needed their vehicles to help them seek work, housing or other critical needs to help remedy their situations
- Various other individuals who would not have been able to get by without our help servicing their vehicles at the cost of parts only
Here’s a testimony from one person who was blessed and wanted to share that blessing with others.
Why We’ve Served
We have had many opportunities to share with those we have served the answer as to why we do what we do – because we love our community and want to be good stewards of our Tools/Talents/Time.
Our Goal for the New Year
Our goal for this coming year is very simple, yet it is where we could use some help: to make Car Works a sustainable operation. In order to accomplish that goal we will need to take in more cars via donations in support of our program in order to sell these cars to cover our costs and keep this program moving forward. For those of you that have supported us with direct gifts, vehicle donations, or with your time by volunteering, those of us here at Car Works along with those we have served are exceedingly grateful during this season of Thanksgiving for all you have done.
We’ve accomplished much this first year and have felt first-hand the impact we have had on those we have served. But we have many more in the Great Lafayette area with similar needs, and with your support we will have even more opportunities to impact lives, strengthen families, meet critical needs and share the message of Christ!
