MILLARD, Neb. (KMTV) — A Millard shop donated a fully repaired 2006 Toyota Prius to a 70-year-old Council Bluffs woman living on Social Security
- Debbie Washka was driving an unsafe 1994 Saturn taking long trips to visit her husband at a nursing home in Tabor, Iowa.
- Christian Brothers Automotive in Millard met Debbie at its National Service say and decided she was the right candidate to receive a donated 2006 Toyota Prius.
- Technicians spent weeks making repairs totaling more than $20,000, including a new battery, a new engine, new tires and a full list of safety fixes, all funded by community donations.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Debbie Washka's 1994 Saturn was no longer safe to drive. At 70 years old, living on Social Security and often making the drive to visit her husband at a nursing home in Tabor, Iowa, buying another car was never an option until a local auto shop stepped in.
Christian Brothers Automotive in Millard hosted a National Service Day in October, inviting neighbors in need for free oil changes and safety inspections. Washka was among those who came in.
"Debbie was one of our guests that came in for an oil change and a safety inspection, and she was driving an unsafe vehicle, and we informed her of that, that there were multiple things that were safety related that really needed to be addressed," Jamison Lalk, owner of Christian Brothers Automotive Millard, said.
A few months before National Service Day, the shop had received a donated 2006 Toyota Prius. Technicians spent weeks making repairs totaling more than $20,000, including a new battery, a new engine, new tires and a full list of safety fixes, all funded by community donations.
When the car was ready, Lalk called Washka with the news.
"So then they called me on Monday, Jamison did, and told me they had a car for me, and I couldn't believe it," Washka said.
For Washka, the car means more than just reliable transportation. Her husband lost his legs this year and is now living in a nursing home.
"Oh, it meant a lot to me because I couldn't take my husband anywhere with it because he lost most of his legs this year and now I can take him places and do things with him, but my son has to come with me," Washka said.
Lalk said reliable, safe transportation is essential in the Omaha metro.
"If you don't have your own personal vehicle that's safe, there's just not a whole lot of other ways to get around town," Lalk said.
Washka has been driving the Prius for a few weeks and says it has been truly life changing.
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