A victim of repeated auto theft in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, received support from her local auto shop, reports CBS News.
This past December, a Hyundai Elantra belonging to ER nurse and single mother Brooke Hiis was broken into. When she took it to the local shop she and her family have relied on for years, Albi’s Auto, they immediately wanted to help.
Hiis was only charged for the parts used, not the labor, and the shop worked diligently to find the best deal they could for the struggling driver. Hiis recounted that the shop spent hours on the phone trying to hunt down the specific part she needed: an ignition cylinder lock and key, which Michele Alexsi of Albi's Auto said was a challenge to find.
“We went all over the place looking for it,” said Alexsi. “Very hard to find that part.”
Unfortunately, more trouble lay ahead for Hiis. Later that same month, less than a week before Christmas, her vehicle was targeted again–this time, stolen from outside of her apartment, with her daughter’s Christmas presents stored inside. In an effort to save money, Hiis had recently switched her insurance to liability after paying off her car, which she soon regretted, now having no way to get to her job.
When Alexsi and her husband saw what happened to their loyal customer, they once again stepped in to help. They donated an out-of-use vehicle in their shop to Hiis, at no cost to her.
“We have a car; we're not going to use it,” explained Alexsi. “So, why not give it someone that needs it.”
Hiis has been deeply touched by the shop’s acts of kindness, serving as a reminder to her that there are people out there that care enough to help. Though her stolen Elantra was found by police on Jan. 10, it was deemed undriveable.
