Volunteer garage in Kokomo helps people who are struggling

For some, car problems are less daunting these days in Howard County.

KOKOMO, Ind. (WTHR) - As a single mom to a five-year-old girl, Abby Fetterhoff, 20, knows what it's like to struggle.

"It was hard because people threw that you're young in your face with having a child and it makes you want to strive for independence harder," Abby said.

But that independence was challenged each time Abby's car broke down and she had to ask for rides to the grocery store, work, and doctor's appointments for her daughter.

"You're doing everything on your own, everything's going great and then your car goes wrong. You don't expect it," she said.

Abby said she has even lost jobs because she couldn't afford car repairs.

"You're stuck in this big huge dilemma, like in a hole and you feel helpless and lost," she said.

That was until someone told Abby about a place that could help.

Inside a tiny maintenance building at Kokomo's Crossroads Community Church, retired mechanic Tom Smith has been working for a higher power, at what's come to be known as "God's Garage."

"He says we're supposed to love our neighbor's as ourselves and so that is, it is 'God's Garage' because that's the reason we do it," said Tom.

He's not alone.

A few dozen volunteers arrive every Wednesday night and all day Saturday to work on the cars of people like Abby who can't afford to fix them.

The work they do on the vehicles is free. Customers only pay for the parts.

In just two years, Tom and the volunteers have fixed 250 cars. There are more requests every day. The need has been so great, there is now a two-month waiting list.

"If someone is just barely making it and then all of a sudden they have a big expense with their car, why, it can be a downward spiral for them and it's really hard for them to get out of," Tom said.

Abby's knows what that downward spiral is like. She's been caught in it before.

"So many times, my car's broke down. I paid out of pocket and it broke me," she said.

Abby doesn't have to worry about that anymore, and people like Tom, along with the other volunteers and the work being done at God's Garage are the reason.

Abby calls them angels on earth.

"I feel like they're Heaven sent," she said.

God's Garage is expanding its work, thanks to a grant from the Howard County Community Foundation. They're moving down the street to a bigger building and purchasing more tools so they can fix more cars.

They're always looking for volunteers.