By Lee Roberts
TIAA Executive Director

SAN ANTONIO -- “Sometimes providing free repairs just makes sense,” said Louie Sirianni, who spearheaded the Texas Independent Automotive Association’s community service project to provide free automotive repairs to residents of the San Antonio Battered Women’s Shelter.

Gabriel Mendez (Left), G.M. Automotive Repair, Martin Cardenas (Center), St. Philip's College Student Shaun Smith (Second from right), and Joseph Cruz remove a vehicle's undercarriage to work on a transmission.  (Photos by Lee Roberts)

More than 50 volunteers, encompassing a dozen TIAA member shops, automotive vocational students and instructors, and 10 sponsors, gathered at St. Philip’s College Automotive Repair Shop April 19 to fix six cars free of charge for needy abuse victims.

Altogether, more than $10,000 worth of repairs were complete the day of the event.
Sirianni said he was amazed by the outpouring of generosity.

“It was great. I think it went off perfectly,” Sirianni said. “Everything they came in for is working now.”

Ty Smith, a BG salesman in the San Marcos area, performs a radiator flush.  BG donated and changed all the fluids at the event.

Lee Roy Meadows, TIAA Alamo Chapter president, called the event a “giant undertaking” but one that came together. He said pairing up TIAA mechanics with students added a special flavor because of the training.

Shaun Smith, in his final year at St. Philip’s College, said he loved helping people and working side by side with G.M. Automotive techs repairing a transmission.

“I love cars and helping people... that’s why I volunteered,” Smith said.

Laura Fronzaglio, the outreach director at Family Violence Prevention Services in San Antonio, said the clients who benefitted are in a transitional program.

“A lot of them have just started their jobs and they are just starting to get their finances back in order,” she said. “When they balance cost of repairs with other things like food, the car may get put to the wayside.”

Fronzaglio said when women are brought to their shelter by law enforcement, they often have only 10-15 minutes to grab personal belongings, so they are basically starting over with very little. Those that are lucky to have a car, often are stuck with old models requiring maintenance they simply cannot afford.

Auge Olivarez (Right), an auto technician, and Jack Baumann of Baumann Auto, replace a distributor cap during the TIAA event that provided free car repairs for battered women residing at the San Antonio Battered Women Shelter.

“They’re riding in an unsafe vehicle, and they put off getting it inspected because it wouldn’t pass anyway,” she said. “It’s imperative for them to have good vehicle that’s in good working order.”
According to Fronzaglio, TIAA truly helped these women greatly with getting their new lives started.

“We thank them (all the volunteers) for their help,” she said.

Sirianni thanked the following businesses:

Shops - Bill Mezzeti Tire, KMS Enterprises, St. Philip’s College, B&M Auto, Thrash Auto, Euro Car Care, Sirianni Automotive, G.M. Automotive, George’s Auto Repair, Car Pro of San Antonio, Kayser’s Automotive Services, Schertz Auto Collision Works, and Alamo Heights Garage.

Sponsors: Full Service Auto Parts, NAPA Auto Parts, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Carquest Auto Parts, North Side Ford, Northstar Dodge, BG-Walton Distributing, Avery Oil, Golden West, A&A Auto, Continental Battery, Bill Mezzetti Tire, Jordan Ford, Tom Benson Chevy and Gus Mann Automotive.

Editor’s Note: Call (210) 733-3526 to donate to the San Antonio Women’s Shelter or go to www.fvps.org for more information.