Big Al's Auto Repair Owners Becky and Shawn Hammond prior to donating the van. (Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Fixed-up van filled with donations given to Lethbridge family in need

Dec 20, 2019 | 11:30 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – This is the fifth year that Big Al’s Auto Repair has taken an older van, fixed it up, and donated it to someone who could use a new vehicle.

Yet, Owner Shawn Hammond tells LNN that it never stops feeling so good when they can give back.

This year, the shop worked on a 2002 Chevy Venture. It did not need a lot in the way of major repairs, but their mechanics put in new tires, repaired the windshield, and gave it a thorough cleaning throughout.

“There’s a lot of work and a lot of other stuff that goes into getting ready for these Christmas van giveaways. Today’s the fun part – we get to load the vans, we get the see the family’s reactions when we give them to them. That’s the good part.”

The community came together to donate some of the necessities for the family. This includes food, gift cards, presents for the children, and cash that will go towards paying for the first year of insurance and registration.

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Hammond estimates that the donations are probably worth around $2,500.

He says the support they receive from the public grows every year and that he is so appreciative of that.

“We are very community-minded. We really believe in the community. Both my wife Becky and I were born and raised here. We believe in this community and we believe that it can be good and we believe it just takes one person doing one good thing over and over.”

The van was given to a family of four from Lethbridge Thursday evening.

Big Al’s does not name the families that receive the fixed-up vans nor do they want to give any clues as to who they might be out of respect to them.

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