Virginia Auto Shop Helps Repair Cars and Lives
January 29,2013
When Sharon and Gene Ward’s van started making strange noises, the Virginia couple panicked.
“Our car started to sound like a million crickets chirping," Sharon says. "We had taken it to a place down in Manassas and we told the person we are on a limited income. He told us it was going to be over $300 to fix it.”
That presented a major problem for the couple since they use the vehicle for more than transportation; it is also their home.
Because they’re too sick to work, the Wards receive unemployment payments from the government. They’ve been living in their van since losing their low-rent apartment in September.
“You don’t have a place to take a shower," Sharon says. "You don’t have a place to wash your clothes. You’ve got to only carry a certain amount of things with you. When the cold temperatures come and the snow, you just don’t know what to do.”
“I try to make sure that we always have gas so we can run the motor for heat,” Gene says.
That’s where W.D. Wiygul’s Automotive Clinic comes in. He offers minor repairs, for free, to people like the Wards.
“We have had folks come in that are in their middle ages and they were successful bankers," Wiygul says. "Now they maybe cannot afford a battery for their car. We fix their car.”
The family-owned business has four locations in northern Virginia and was founded by Wiygul’s grandfather more than 40 years ago.
“We’re not here for the glory or to promote our business," Wiygul says. "We’re doing this because it’s the right thing to do. This is our little way to try to kick-start our community economy.”
The Wards drove right over when they heard about Wiygul’s offer on the radio. The belt tensioner turned out to be the source of the loud noise.
“They even polished our headlights, gave us the remote control to their TV here and let us watch their TV and have something to drink,” Sharon says.
And that’s not all. Wiygul also called a local interfaith group which helped the couple find temporary shelter.
“I’ll always be grateful to him because as things turned around," Sharon says, "there is hope.”
Wiygul hopes other small businesses will follow his lead in giving back to the community. He’s proud to be not only getting cars back on the road, but also helping people get back on their feet.
- Technology Report
- Health Report
- Education Report
- Economics Report
- Arts & Culture
- Ask a Teacher
- Words And Their Stories
- AS IT IS
- Everyday Grammar
- This is America
- Science in the News
- In the News
- American Stories
- Trending Today
- U.S. History
- America's National Parks
- America's Presidents
- Agriculture Report
- Explorations
- People in America
Virginia Auto Shop Helps Repair Cars and Lives
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
Related Articles
- Classical Sounds Invade Country Music Capital (13/1/28)
- Washington's Focus Turns to Immigration Reform, Obama Cabinet Picks (13/1/27)
- John Kerry: First White, Male Secretary of State in 16 Years (13/1/25)
- 40 Years Later, US Abortion Opinions Remain Passionate (13/1/25)
- France Deploys Special Forces as Terrorism Fears Grow (13/1/25)
- Arab Spring Still a Work in Progress (13/1/25)
- Analysts: Israeli Election Could Impact Obama-Netanyahu Relationship (13/1/24)
- 9/11 Suspects Get New Hearings at Guantanamo (13/1/24)
- MSF Providing Medical Aid in Northern Mali (13/1/25)
- Cameron Outlines Anti-terrorism Strategy (13/1/24)