Christian Brothers Automotive Windsor seeks assist with Give a Raise program – Greeley Tribune

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, families in need have been faced with a variety of challenges such as finding affordable housing, paying for daycare, covering healthcare costs, being able to have money for groceries and much more.

Having reliable transportation shouldn’t be included in this list of challenges, according to the owner of a Windsor mechanic shop.

Lance Dismang, owner of Christian Brothers Automotive Windsor located at 1635 Main St., has been taking used cars and fixing them up to donate to local residents that can’t afford reliable transportation.

A well running vehicle can make all the difference for someone needing to get to work, attend health care appointments, grocery shop or pick up their kids from school, Dismang explained.

Since his opening in 2017, Dismang has had a goal of supporting the community by giving away cars to those who are in need, Maddy Valente, public affairs associate with All Points Public Relations said.

“Now that their business is more established, they are able to receive donations from the community of older cars that still have years left in them,” Valente explained. “They aren’t looking for lemons, but they are willing to do the repairs to better provide for low-income families.”

Vehicles donated by customers and local nonprofit organizations to the shop’s Christian Brothers Give a Lift program aren’t brand new, Dismang said. They need some work and upgrades.

Lance and Christy Dismang, left, stood in one of the bays of their Christian Brothers Windsor Automotive business as two mechanics work on a customer’s car. (Photo courtesy of Maddy Valente)

And while the cars aren’t brand new, Dismang has some pretty high standards for what is and isn’t an acceptable vehicle for the program, he said. Vehicles must be in decent shape and safe to drive to be considered for the program.

To keep costs at a minimum, Dismang works with a variety of vendors and local auto parts stores to get discounts and donations for the things needed to repair and upgrade the cars.

“It can cost us anywhere from several hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars to get one of these cars up and running,” Dismang said. “We’ve also had people offer to donate a perfectly good car that maybe just needs an alignment or something.”

Once the cars have been repaired and upgraded, Dismang works with local charities and nonprofits to identify someone that would benefit from being given a vehicle.

The first donation from the shop’s program went to a college student whose father had died and was experiencing major car issues, Dismang said. Within 24 hours, the shop had the student in a reliable vehicle that had been donated to the program.

“Recently, they just gave away their second free car to support a family, where the mom had stage 4 cancer, and their car was totaled,” Valente said. “The family had no other transportation to get her to her treatment. So Lance’s team stepped in and gave her a donated car from a customer.”

The biggest challenge Dismang faces with the program is acquiring donated vehicles.

“That’s why I want to get the word out,” he said. “It’s not a marketing effort or anything. We are trying to do good around us and we can’t do it by ourselves, we need folks to participate.”

Giving back to the community isn’t just Dismang’s jam, it’s one of the things the company takes into consideration when looking at possible franchise owners.

The faith-based company operates on a foundation of Christian values ​​much like fast-food chain Chick-fil-A in that patience, compassion and generosity are standard customer service elements.

“Our experience is that customers, regardless of their faith or denomination, respond to this approach and appreciate the care and mindfulness that goes into every interaction,” the company’s website explained.

For more information on Christian Brothers Automotive, go to www.cbac.com.

Anyone interested in donating a vehicle can contact Lance Dismang at Christian Brothers Automotive Windsor at (970) 460-2228 for more information.