Auto Shop: Bag Of Groceries Gets Free Brake Job

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- A Twin Cities auto shop is giving away free brake jobs in return for a donation of a bag of groceries or school supplies.

It's the eighth year that Signal Garage Auto Care – both in West St. Paul and St. Paul – has provided this giveaway.

The bays are all full at the auto shops because for the whole month of August, the brake jobs are free. That is, as long as there's a school supply or grocery donation.

Owner Rami Dery is hoping for 10,000 pounds of food and $2,000 in school supplies.

He says it's a way to give back.

"Ultimately, we would never be here if the community is not supporting us, so it's one of those things we do to give back," he said.

Signal Garage expects to do 200 free brake jobs this month. The supplier, Factory Motor Parts in Eagan, Minn., is helping with discounted brake pads.

And the technicians, like Jay Thielan, pitch in by donating labor.

"It's good for the community to help bring food to the food shelves," Thielan said.

All the donations go to two area food shelves.

And at Neighbors Inc. in South St. Paul, the Signal Auto donations mean full shelves as August is the slowest month for donations all year.

"If we get 5,000 pounds of food from one source at one time, that's an eighth of what we need to get us through the month in comfortable style," said John Kemp, the Executive Director of Neighbors Inc. "That is a big donation."