Alice Massanga (second from the right) received a 2015 Toyota Sienna from Christian Brothers Automotive as part of the company’s National Day of Service. Photo by John Worthington | The Reporter.
The donation is part of the company’s National Day of Service, which helps low-income individuals with routine vehicle maintenance
A Harleysville mother will have an easier commute to work after receiving a car donation from a local auto repair shop.
Chip Eissler, owner of Christian Brothers Automotive in Montgomery Township, presented the 2015 Toyota Sienna to Alice Massanga on Thursday, April 17 at the auto repair shop.
“I’m speechless,” said Massanga. “I feel blessed.”
The donation is part of the company’s National Day of Service, which helps low-income individuals with routine vehicle maintenance. The Montgomery Township shop receives referrals from local social service agencies, including the Keystone Opportunity Center in Souderton.
“We have many neighbors that are low-income and really struggling, and where we are, public transportation is minimal,” said Linda Chaplin, Keystone’s manager of Community Assistance and Supportive Programs.
Originally from Angola, Massanga is a certified nurse’s assistant and longstanding beneficiary of Keystone’s services. Her previous vehicle, a Nissan Murano, often broke down and required constant repairs.
“I couldn’t go to work. I couldn’t do anything,” said Massanga. “And every time I would take my car somewhere, they were just trying to rip me off.”
Keystone eventually referred Massanga to Christian Brothers Automotive, which recommended a new vehicle. Eissler and his wife, Christie, quickly decided to donate Christie’s old minivan to Massanga.
“It was sitting in the driveway, and a couple kids were gone, and I just said one day, ‘This is just sitting here. It’s hardly getting used. Somebody else could use it’,” said Christie Eissler.
Massanga reacted to the news with shock.
“When they said, ‘There’s a car for you,’ I said ‘I don’t believe it,’” said Massanga. “I don’t know if I’m still dreaming.”
Massanga said the donation will change her life “dramatically,” providing her with reliable transportation to work and the ability to pursue other job opportunities.
“With my old car, I couldn’t move much, because I didn’t know if my car was gonna break down and I was gonna be stuck in the road,” said Massanga. “This is gonna help me pick up jobs and do things I need to make ends meet. Being by yourself and having a kid is not easy, especially nowadays. The market is really rough.”
With keys in hand, Massanga expressed immense gratitude to Christian Brothers Automotive and the Keystone Opportunity Center, reaffirming her faith in humanity.
“Being an immigrant in this country, there are people that have really bad experiences here, but there are some people that have good experiences here,” said Massanga. “And since I got in Pennsylvania, I cannot say that I wasn’t helped. I had a lot of help, I had people surrounding me.”
“There are still good people in the world. I still believe in humanity,” Massanga concluded. “God helps us in so many ways. I will be eternally grateful.”
This article appears courtesy of a content share agreement between North Penn Now and The Reporter. To read more stories like this, visit https://www.thereporteronline.com.
