Auto Repair Shop-in-a-Box

Auto Repair Shop-in-a-Box

You can be the ONE to help.

A trip to the “Village of Hope” in Burkina Faso, West Africa in November 2007 has had a major impact on business owner Glenn Colling of Eastside Auto Service in Oakville, ON.

Glenn was part of a team, organized by Careforce International in Burlington, that traveled to the Village Of Hope, a place where impoverished and orphaned children from surrounding rural villages come to live and learn during the school months. He went there fully intending to be involved in the construction of a dormitory for the children, but ended up contributing in ways he never expected.

After assisting with the construction project for the first few days, Glenn’s attention soon turned to the much needed repair and maintenance of many and varied pieces of equipment in the village, including diesel generators, mopeds, motorcycles, a bulldozer, tractor, and numerous other items.

These repairs presented specific challenges as the local parts store is not just down the street. Often times, pieces had to be fabricated or reworked and repaired to bring the equipment back to life. It was a truly amazing experience, and it made Glenn think outside the box to complete the task at hand, including engaging the children of the village to help at times. They would hold a wrench, swing a hammer, or sand a surface to prepare for installation.

Out of this experience came the realization that the children have a true desire to learn, but needed the resources and training to provide that opportunity. After brainstorming ideas at the Village of Hope, a concept called “Auto Repair Shop-In-A-Box” was born.

The majority of aid for the Village of Hope is shipped by sea from Canada to Africa in 40 foot containers. The Auto Repair Shop-In-A-Box will be a complete auto repair and maintenance facility inside one of these types of containers. It will be outfitted with workbenches, welder, tools, air compressor, grinders, tire machine and balancer, diagnostic equipment, battery charger – everything needed to get the job done. There will also be two hoists placed in the container for mounting the Auto Shop on cement pads once it’s delivered on site.

This concept will encompass several major objectives:

1. Provide a venue for training the children to teach them a skill
2. Provide tools and resources to maintain the equipment at the village
3. Provide a future means of income for the village once training has been completed

Glenn Colling feels that with the help of his fellow AARO members, this unique and innovative concept can become a reality. Thanks to the support of Roger Crichton and Careforce International, he says a container that will become the Auto Repair Shop-In-A-Box has already been purchased and delivered. The two are now looking for donations of good-working new or used equipment to outfit the container.

“If you have any equipment that you are willing to donate, it will make a tremendous difference in the lives of the children at the Village of Hope,” said Colling.

According to Colling, Careforce International can issue gift-in-kind tax receipts for the fair market value (determined by Careforce) of any equipment donated. Proof of value should be provided if possible.

“We are asking that the used tools and equipment that is donated be in good working order. My staff and I are willing to make minor repairs, but please be sure that the equipment works,” said Colling. “So, if you are upgrading and looking for a home for your old equipment; if you are done with that older battery charger, or tester, or balancer, or whatever it is that’s collecting dust in the corner, there is a use for it that will make a huge difference in the lives of those children,” he said.

If you have any questions or if you have tools or equipment to donate, please call Glenn at (905) 844-9641, or contact Careforce International at (905) 639-8525.

You Can Be the ONE to Help

In addition to the contribution of tools and equipment, monetary donations will also be appreciated and put to good use. “Financial assistance is needed to help pay for the shipment of the container upon its completion, at an approximate cost of $25,000, and funds to cover the initial energy expenses for running the equipment will be required as well,” Glenn explained. Tax receipts for monetary donations will be provided at year end by Careforce International.

Click here to make a secure Online Donation at the CareForce International website. Select Auto Shop-in-a-Box from the drop-down menu to ensure your donation goes to this worthy cause.

Find us on Facebook!
Click here to become a Fan and get the latest news and updates about Auto Repair Shop-in-a-Box. Thank you for your continuing support!