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Muskegon County family wins holiday car giveaway from a local auto repair shop

A Muskegon business made a local family's holiday a little brighter with a gift on wheels.

MUSKEGON, Mich. — For the past six years, a Muskegon business has been part of an effort to give back to the community. This year, they made a family’s holiday a little brighter with a gift on wheels.

The recipient called the Christmas surprise a "true blessing."

Joe’s Service Station on Apple Avenue in Muskegon isn’t your average auto repair shop. It’s the organizer of the Wheels for Christmas giveaway.

“It's one way of giving the ultimate spiritual gift back to somebody that needs it. If we had more cars, we certainly could give them away because there's plenty of deserving families," Joe Breen, owner of Joe’s Service Station, said. 

One mid-December afternoon, Elizabeth Miller got a call from her mom asking for help.

“And to be honest, I was a little bit annoyed. Because my kids were sick. And it was a frustrating day," Elizabeth Miller, the car recipient, said.  

They drove to Joe’s Service Station where quite the surprise was waiting decorated in a big red bow.

“She busts out her phone and starts taking pictures of me, and the people behind the counter told me they were giving me this vehicle, and that I was nominated for this car, and I cried," Miller said.

The single mother of three has gone without a vehicle of her own for a while, she calls the past few months tough, which is why this gift of a new car has been special.

“When we received it, it literally felt like prayers were just being answered. I was really humbled," Miller said.

With help from Advanced Auto Parts, repairs were made to this black Chevrolet Equinox.

The first thing Elizabeth did was take the kids for a drive.

“We literally like drove down Lakeshore Drive with the sunroof open in the middle of December. Like, it was fantastic. We are so excited. We're like bumping music and like dancing around," Miller said.

A blessing that came just in time for the holidays.

“I just wanted to say like a huge thanks to Joe's and we just hope that you're able to bless more people in the future," Miller said.

That is certainly the plan. Breen says he plans to continue the tradition next year and beyond.

    

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