Gwen Johnson has an after-school program that has cared for children for almost 30 years. A nonprofit she founded called the Parkview Community Foundation provides meals to children in the Kid’s Café, according to its website.
Johnson uses a 15-passenger van to transport children who need a ride back to their homes.
“A lot of kids come here and eat, and they don’t have a ride home, because they don’t live in this area,” Johnson said, WSOC-TV reports.
Johnson said she was driving the truck to south Charlotte when it stopped working at the beginning of the month.
“We were driving it down to Ballantyne and it decided it didn’t want to go anymore … they said the transmission is gone,” she said.
Johnson’s charity relies on federal funding, but she uses fundraising to pay for the truck’s repairs.
The Scott Clark Auto Group stepped in to offer free repairs to Johnson’s vehicle after they saw her story.
“We’re grateful for this opportunity and for this new relationship,” Rod Goodall, director of community engagement for Scott Clark Auto Group, said, according to WSOC-TV.
Goodall presented Johnson with the keys to her repaired truck on Monday. She also gave the auto company pictures the children drew for them as a sign of their appreciation.
Since her story aired on the news station, local viewers have donated to her program. Grateful for the gesture, Johnson said she hopes this experience helps the children understand how to handle difficult situations.
“There is nice people around. You just have to know how to approach them,” she said.
