It is the Saturday before Christmas and only a few days before we turn the calender and start the New Year 2012. As you prepare for the Holiday's I wanted to share with you some of the ways God blessed us through serving you.
In 2011, we hosted four Auto Care Saturday events. At each event we served an average of 33 cars for a total of 132 cars in 2011. Each car holds around 4.75 quarts of oil. So we changed over 156 gallons of oil along with 132 oil filters. When you think about it, each oil change requires your hood to be opened at least twice, once for the inspection and again for the change. So in the course of a year, we opened and closed a hood 264 times. During each inspection we top off your fluids (transmission, coolant, power steering, brake fluid, and washer fluid), the one fluid every car needs is washer fluid. This year we used over 48 gallons of the blue fluid.
Each Auto Care event is the same yet unique. During the Spring Auto Care Event we used electronic registration for the first time. The result was more consistent information from you and more accurate supply purchases before the event.
The Summer Auto Care event is always more hectic than any other. It is when we change the air filter along with the oil and oil filter. The special thing about air filers is almost every one of the 36 cars we served requires a unique filter engineered to fit a specific engine. In other words we had over 32 different air filters compared that to only 14 different oil filters.
At the Fall event we offered our first "Basics of Auto Care Class". Bryan Conley headed up the class going over the basics of tire wear and tips on how to change a flat tire. We hope the class will help you become more familiar with your car and how to care for it. We plan to continue the class option during the spring and fall Auto Care Sessions in 2012.
At the Winter event, we made changes to our inspection sheet. The changes will help streamline the registration process and reduce some of the administrative preparation for each event. Look for continued improvements in 2012.
All these changes along with the regular Auto Care Saturday activities, would have been impossible without the support of Christian Services of Howard County who provides much of the practical support. Covering the cost of the oil, oil filters, air filters, and the rest of the fluids. The guys at the Ellicott City Napa Store, located on US 40. They always seem to have the filter or part we need. The volunteers who staff the registration table, respond to your electronic registration, bend over each engine looking at the belts and hoses, the driver who takes care to move the car safely between each work area, the guys who are willing to get their hands, arms, hair, faces, and clothing covered with oil, and the ones who bring us food and drink to keep us going through the day. Thank you standing and serving with us.
During the past year some of our volunteers had life changing events. Tim, one of the founders of this ministry, was in a motorcycle accident. While the injuries where minor for a motorcycle accident, the recovery will be long and painful. Dr. Michael, one of our faithful auto inspectors, had a massive heart attack and was thought dead several times. I glad to report he is recovering under the watchful eye of Anthony and Carl, his sons, and fellow Auto Care inspectors.
One more item, the current leadership of Auto Care Saturday is planning on stepping down at the end of 2012. At the moment God has not provided another team of leaders to take our place. Please join us in praying God will see it part of His plan to send us new leaders and continue this ministry into 2013.
I started this little note saying how we were thankful for you. You give us the opportunity to serve. The leaders of this ministry are all Christians and when the Holy Spirit changed our hearts, He gave us the desire to share that love with others. Auto Care is one of the ways God has given us to show our love for Him by caring for you. So thank you, and from the entire Auto Care Saturday Leadership Team....
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Your Auto Care Gang
410.442.7677 ext 299
autocare@chapelgate.org
http://autocaresaturday.
