In its second year, the employee-led Lozier Community Grant program supported 50 nonprofit organizations across the country. Recipients were selected by employee committees in all five Lozier locations.  Over the next couple of months, the recipient organizations’ stories of impact will be shared on LozierLink.

In the shop at Higher Power Garage, you might hear the surprising sound of turning brake rotors. Mike Gideon will be the first to tell you it’s not a common sight at most auto shops these days, but when working on cars is your lifelong love, there’s no problem in doing things the old-fashioned way.

“I’ve been in management in automotive for many, many years. Back in 1995, I opened my first business, Gideon’s Tire and Auto. We’ve been doing that for 28 years,” Gideon said. However, after nearly three decades of success, he wondered if he was leaving the kind of legacy he wanted and turned to his automotive talents to give back.

“We knew the need was in our area, we had seen that,” Gideon said. “It became blatantly apparent as Covid set in and the government shut down that the need was not just in our area, but it was growing in our area.” With that in mind, Gideon founded Higher Power Garage, officially opening up for service in Joplin, Missouri in June 2020. Aiming to ensure people without financial stability could have the means to keep a safe, reliable vehicle, the operation rolled out a three-fold mission, starting with providing low-cost automotive maintenance to those who qualify.

“To see the relief in their face, when they know this is something they can afford, that they don’t have to choose between the electric bill and getting their car fixed. Or paying the rent, or losing their job,” Gideon said of the reduced-price service. Gideon and his team provide free labor, limiting the price of service to those who need it. However, they also wanted people to take away life-long lessons.

“One of the things we set as a goal early on was to empower our clients to move forward in life,” Gideon said. “It wasn’t just about putting a band aid on the need right now, but it was about providing the resources they need to move forward,” Gideon added, referring to Higher Power Garage’s scheduled classes. The shop offers education in basic automotive maintenance and budgeting, giving people the tools they need to keep their cars on the road while also strengthening their financial footing. But for those truly in a fiscal bind, the group has a third helping hand.

“Our low-cost vehicle program, it’s a game changer,” Krissy Fuller said. The Client Manager for Higher Power Garage said the program allows people to receive a donated, recertified vehicle, totally taken care of by the Higher Power Garage team.

“A lot of our clients, they’re just hopeless. They don’t see their worth and the value that we see,” Fuller said. “It just seems like they’re hitting brick wall after brick wall. To be able to give them good news and tell them that it’s going to be okay, we’re going to fix this, we’re going to get you back on the road. It’s just such a special place.”

Higher Power Garage is one of six Joplin-area operations receiving funding from the Lozier Community Grant program in 2023. That year, the group provided more than 300 automobile repairs, totaling nearly $50,000 in donated labor, while handing over keys to more than 20 low-cost vehicles to workers and families who desperately need them. In addition, dozens of students learned important maintenance and money management skills through monthly classes at the shop. Gideon and his team said they’re proud of the progress so far, but that the need is growing and community support like the Lozier Community Grant truly makes a difference.

“How can we meet more needs? I feel like we’re really just scratching the surface of the needs in our community,” Gideon said.

“We solely depend on the generosity of our neighbors, of our community, of organizations like Lozier, who see the value in what we’re doing here,” Fuller added. The group plans to increase monthly repairs in 2024, while expanding the low-cost vehicle program and even growing the staff in hopes of increasing the Higher Power outreach along with it.

“We see so much more for our clients than they can see for themselves,” Fuller said. “We’re going to help push them on to bigger and better things.”

“We shouldn’t fear failure. We should fear succeeding in something that doesn’t matter,” Gideon said. “I think that’s something that each of us should ask that question: are we making a difference in this world, and if not, what can we do to do that?”

To learn more about the Higher Power Garage, visit the organization’s website. For details on the Lozier Community Grant program, click here.