A veteran is thanking the community after a non-profit organization repaired their family truck during trying times.
Jason Medrano, a Marine veteran that served nine years and three tours of duty, volunteers with local organizations helping veterans struggling in life. But recently, he found himself needing help.
Back in May, the father of three and experienced motorcyclist was involved in a terrifying crash.
“I was coming home and lost control on [Highway] 90,” Medrano recalled.
He said that his helmet saved him from possible trauma, but a broken ankle forced him to take time off from his construction job. And a month later, his wife, Jessica Medrano, was laid off.
“We just relied on what we had in savings, you know. The bills don’t stop coming” Medrano said.
He was out of work for three months, and with three children to care for, the family struggled to make ends meet. The tight budget forced the family to put off repairs on the family SUV.
“It’s a hazard on the road,” Medrano explained.
“His car was basically falling apart. They called it ‘Mater’ because it would go down the road and wobble,” said Art Garcia, founder of Combat Marine Outdoors, a non-profit organization with a mission to make sure no veteran is left behind.
And they weren't going to let their own volunteer get left behind.
The organization teamed up with Pro-Care Automotive Collision and took on the challenge of repairing the SUV.
The Pro-Care Automotive Collision team put new tires on the truck, fixed the alignment, and did a complete tune up along with a deep clean inside and out.
Two weeks later, Medrano and his family received the keys to their Chevy surrounded by American Flags, veterans, and supporters.
“You don’t expect to hit rock bottom but it’s good to know that there is people out there that are willing to help,” Jessica Medrano said.
Employees at Pro-Care Automotive Collision donated their time to fix the truck, O’Reilly Auto Parts donated the parts needed for the repairs, Lynda’s Tire Service Inc. donated the tires, and Allstate and Hertz donated gas cards.
To learn more about Combat Marine Outdoors you can visit their official Facebook page here.