Mechanics on a Mission volunteers James Enyart, left, Donnie Weicht, center, and Tyler Wells perform repairs on a vehicle. Staff photo by Jeff Jones
BUTLER — A year-old program is helping families in tough situations get needed vehicle repairs in Butler.
Mechanics on a Mission began in January 2020. Volunteers typically meet the second Saturday of each month, using the former Maxton Motors mechanic garage at M&S Auto Parts to make car repairs.
“We had the idea of starting a mission because people were always coming to church asking for funds to get repairs done on their cars,” explained Sam Weicht, associate pastor at Butler United Methodist Church.
Weicht’s brother, Steve, and friends Will Vandenberg and Chuck Woods partnered with M&S Auto Parts for shop space and discounts on auto parts through NAPA.
“We’ve been busy ever since,” Sam Weicht said.
Most of the connections happen by word of mouth and through Facebook.
“The local churches, when they know somebody’s in need, they send them to us,” he said. People can call the United Methodist church office, 868-2098, to inquire about the outreach. Volunteers and donations also can be arranged by calling the church.
“We’re starting to do mid-week inspections so we know what parts we need, what’s wrong with the car, so when they bring it in on Saturdays, we can put things together and go,” Weicht added.
Mechanics on a Mission volunteers donate their labor. That’s a big part of what makes the program work. Through their research, organizers discovered garage labor costs vary from $80 to $160 an hour.
While auto garages have employees and their own expenses to pay, it sometimes causes people to make tough decisions.
Mechanics on a Mission isn’t trying to take away customers, it’s helping people get back on their feet.
“When you’re a single mom or an elderly person on a fixed income, you might be able to afford the $30 part, but that $160 (labor), you can’t afford that side of it. That’s where we come into play,” Weicht said.
The outreach began just before the COVID-19 pandemic, but despite that, Mechanics on a Mission has been able to help more than 100 families get vehicle repairs that otherwise couldn’t afford it. Services have included oil changes, multiple radiators, front-ends and more.
“The response has been amazing,” Weicht said. “We had one lady send back that her husband was laid off during COVID. They weren’t able to pay a lot of their bills, but because of donations, we were able to fix their car. Her husband was able to have transportation to be able to go farther to find a job and helped them get back on their feet.
“That’s the whole idea behind the mission,” he said.
Six to eight volunteers donate their time each month making vehicle repairs. Mechanics on a Mission recently began a partnership with Inspiration Ministries, as well as other Butler churches.
“It is amazing. COVID has hit us financially,” Weicht said. “We weren’t able to do our fundraisers and things like that, and other organizations who donate are affected by it, too, because they don’t have as much to give out.
“Going forward, we’re looking to bring in more advanced tools,” he continued. “As the cars get newer, it’s not like turning a wrench. You have to have the computer to go along with it. We’re looking to really enhance as we go forward.”
In addition, organizers want to host classes to teach people how to perform work on their own cars.
Mechanics on a Mission recently received its first vehicle donation. Weicht explained that vehicle will be fixed up and donated to an employee of a local industry in need of transportation.
“It’s an amazing feeling when you watch someone go out of here with a smile on their face thinking, ‘There’s no way we were going to be able to get this fixed.’ Not only is it fixed, we usually go above and beyond,” he stated.
“It’s about giving back to the community. It gives people ways to give back.”
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