Retired mechanic provides free car services to locals in need

Last month, a single mom who was residing at the women’s shelter at Mission Granbury received a Ford Expedition completely free — and it’s all thanks to Good Samaritan Automotive Ministries.

Good Samaritan Automotive Ministries (GSAM) is a nonprofit organization that provides auto repair services to Hood County families that have limited financial means or are in distressed situations.

Granbury resident Wayne Goller is a retired master mechanic with 35 years of experience. He, along with his wife, Robin, founded GSAM in 2018. They both had a goal in mind — to show God’s love to Hood County by repairing vehicles and providing safe, reliable cars to families and individuals through their car donation program.

They currently work with churches and community outreach organizations like Mission Granbury, Ruth’s Place and Rancho Brazos that identify clients who are in need of car repair or a new vehicle.

“We’re Hood County-based, but the one thing that we rely on the organizations for is we do not have the resources to vet (family situations) and don’t want to,” Robin said. “We want the organizations to know you, interview you or find out your circumstances and make sure it’s a real need.”

“We’ll only do things by appointment. We don’t take any walk-ins,” Wayne said.

In a case where neither the client nor the organization can afford the cost of the parts, GSAM will cover the cost.

“Our only overhead is electric and water,” Wayne said. “We have internet here but I use my phone as a hotspot, and that's my personal phone, so ministry doesn't pay for that. And there's an endowment that covers the taxes and the insurance on the building. We own the building, so there's no rent. Any money that we get coming in, 95% of it goes to buying parts either to fix up cars, or to help fix cars for other people.”

The couple has helped many single moms, widows, veterans and orphans the past few years by providing them with reliable transportation.

In 2019, they serviced 70 vehicles, refurbished seven and gave away six.

In 2020, they serviced 97 vehicles and gave away 17 to those in need.

Both Wayne and Robin believe that God’s timing has blessed and helped many members of the community.

“Mission Granbury contacted us a few weeks ago and said, ‘Hey, we got this lady who needs a car. You got one?’ I said, ‘No.’ And then, thank God, right about that time, we got one. God gave us one. And that’s what happens — if there’s a need, one shows up. If one shows up, then a need shows up,” Wayne said.

“That’s not us; that is godsend,” Robin said. “That is God giving us the right car for the right person at the right time.”

Wayne said one of the biggest needs in Hood County is transportation.

“You can’t walk to the grocery store. You can’t walk to the doctor and you can’t walk to work. There’s no public transportation,” he said. “For us, it’s just a real concrete way that we can use the talents that we have to directly impact people.”

Wayne believes by continuing his nonprofit, he is utilizing his God-given gift of working on cars.

“It's not so much doing it to feel good or anything; it's more about using what you have, and doing what you're supposed to do,” he said. “I mean, we're called to do this. We're called to help people. It's all about treasures in heaven. It's not about anything else.”

“We have this system that works for us, that we don’t have to go out and raise money,” Robin said. “We want to give a person a chance to turn their life around, to take away their disabilities and give them the ability to take care of themselves. Our focus is to help people.”

GSAM is also currently seeking other vehicles to donate and are in need of another mechanic.

For more information or to donate a vehicle, call GSAM at 817-360-9226 or email gsamautoministries@yahoo.com.