AURORA, Colo. — It's safe to say that a day in an auto shop is hardly ever slow.
"Definitely gonna need front brake work," said mechanic Russell Bacon as he examined a car.
He has a few left to work on, but doesn't mind how busy it is because of who he's helping.
“I get to make a difference in people’s lives, and they get to make a difference in mine," he said.
He's speaking of those that use the services of Hands of the Carpenter, which repairs vehicles at a discounted price specifically for single moms.
If a car isn't functioning anymore, certain customers are eligible for a car from the nonprofit.
"At the end of the day it’s not about the paycheck – it’s about whether or not I’ve had the opportunity to care about somebody and they know that," he said. "We’re here to serve because we get to. It’s not something that we have to do."
Last weekend, the nonprofit opened their second location in Aurora, which will allow them to double the amount of people they serve.
"For the women that we get a chance to serve, a car is the lifeline to be able to keep a job, to be able to get kids to school, to get to medical appointments, to get to the grocery store," said founder and CEO Dan Georgopulos. "And it's easy for us to say, 'Oh, well, that car's in the shop, let's just take this car today.' But for these women, there isn't another car. And so life kind of stops when the car stops."
In total, he estimates that they've served 3,000 people in their nearly 20 years of operation.
The new location will allow them to expand the type of clients they serve too.
"I would say there's potentially 30,000 clients for us out in the east area," he said.
After verifying that a customer is a legal driver, has insurance and more, they go through a sort of interview process so the organization better understands the person's needs.
Discounts can vary depending on that, but Georgopulos says it's usually 35 to 50% of the value of the services they're getting.
"If it's a $1,000 repair bill, they're going to pay $350. And our operation, our donors, everyone covers the rest," said Georgopulos.
Georgopulos said 20 women are currently waiting on a car right now, with seven or eight cars lined up for those that need them.
A big need now is car donations from the public to help meet the need, Georgopulos said.
To start the process of donating a car, click here.
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