Going the extra mile: Auto shop helps Iowa mom keep rolling
By Amanda Rooker
Click here for updates on this story
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — Sonni Oxford takes her truck everywhere and, as a single mom with two kids, her truck has been her lifeline. But from the brakes to the fuel pump to the muffler, she said it’s required a lot of work.
“Every time I get a little bit of money set aside, it seems like there’s another truck issue,” Oxford said. “Someone stole my mower and my vacuum, so now I’m saving up for a vacuum and a rug shampooer. Then my truck breaks down.”
When her car breaks down, she said she often doesn’t have the time or money to fix it. Oxford works for an in-home care company and can’t miss a day.
“I don’t have the type of job where I can call in,” she said.
Every time she needs a repair, she goes to Hilltop Tire Service on Hubbell Avenue in Des Moines. Whether it’s paying for a cab to pick her up or providing a loaner vehicle, she said the company has always prioritized “the safety and well-being” of her and her children “before their own profit.”
When her truck broke down a few weeks ago, the bill was roughly $1,500. As she tried to calculate how to pay for the repairs, she said she worried about “the snowball effect” that getting behind on rent and other payments would have.
Instead of turning her away, Hilltop Tire Service only charged her $900 for all the repairs needed. Store manager Jeff Lieberman said he was happy to go the extra mile for a customer in need.
“We are here to take the anxiousness out of owning a vehicle,” Lieberman said. “One of the reasons I’m in this industry is to help people.”
Oxford said she was touched by the unexpected act of kindness.
“Something like this can set you back so far that you can’t go winter clothes shopping for your kids,” Oxford said. “I’m just floored that a company would put their quest for profit aside in lieu of helping out a single mom.”
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
