Winter car woes dent the wallet

Staff

Published Thursday, February 26, 2004

By Benjamin Dipman, Tribune staff writer

When the car won't start there are many things to blame it on - the cold weather, someone left the headlights on, the vehicle wasn't housed in a garage.

But for some, it's not a one-time fix, such as getting a jump-start and recharging the battery. Or waiting for warmer weather. For some, the car won't start day after day.

Bob Ackland of A & A Towing said an increasing number of people are calling for assistance this winter.

"I think people are hurting more in town," he said.

Sure, it's partially the cold, he said. But it's also the level of unemployment and the growing number of impoverished car-owners.

There are many reasons people need assistance, Ackland said. Bad batteries, too expensive for people on a minimal budget, is a big one. Others are less expensive like a bad air filter.

One woman's car wouldn't start and Ackland determined that she had a bad battery. Saying that she couldn't afford a new one, he gave her a used one, albeit better, and said she could pay him when she had the funds.

When another person's car wouldn't start, Ackland pulled out the air filter and showed the owner the half-inch of grime that caused the problem. A replacement would cost a few dollars and a simple check-up would have revealed the damaged filter, but many people can't spare the money, he said

"People aren't keeping their cars up," Ackland said. "I try to find them help."

Some car owners go to the Freeborn County Human Services department.

There, according to Director Darryl Meyer, officials find out if the people in need of assistance are part of the Minnesota Family Investment Program, a part of the state's welfare initiative.

If they are, Human Services officials send them to the Albert Lea Workforce Center.

"We have some support services for people who are eligible," said Workforce Center area manager Becky Throfson.

A requirement for eligibility is involvement with MFIP. But with that comes two other requirements.

"They need to have kids," Throfson said. "And they need to have a job or be looking for a job."

If those requirements are fulfilled, those in need of help could be eligible for assistance for car repairs.

The vehicle must have undergone two estimates and the repairs must not be overwhelming.

"It isn't an automatic payment," Throfson said. "There is limited funding."

After inspection of the estimates the car owner is given a voucher for the repairs.

Most repair businesses in Albert Lea accept the vouchers, Throfson said.

The year following the Farmland Foods fire had the most requests for assistance, she said, when unemployment took a jump. Off the top her head, she doesn't think requests this winter have been higher than most other years.

(Contact Benjamin Dipman at ben.dipman@albertleatribune.com or 379-3439.)

---

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE THIS STORY?

---