Know a struggling person who really needs a car? Tell TJ
TJ Crossman, owner of TJ Crossman Auto Repair, plans to give away a 2002 Nissan Altima next month.
When Spencer Tapia’s car died last year, it was a blow. Then came the gift, no strings attached, from a Vista auto mechanic.
It was a used Ford, nearly a dozen years old. But it ran great and it was free — and that was invaluable to Tapia, who once again had a way to get his 4-year-old special-needs daughter to doctor’s appointments.
The mechanic who gave Tapia the car has made that generosity an annual tradition. For the third year running, TJ Crossman is giving away a used car to a person or family in need, and he is seeking nominations for deserving recipients from throughout the county.
This year, Crossman is giving away a blue 2002 four-door Nissan Altima. It has more than 100,000 miles, but it’s “really clean,” he said.
Crossman will put in about $1,500 in parts and several hours of labor into rehabbing the vehicle before he hands it off.
The giveaway is part of a small but nationwide program dubbed “Wheels to Prosper,” in which auto repair shops fix up and give away a car to deserving folks in need. TJ Crossman’s Auto Repair in Vista is the only shop in San Diego County signed on to the program.
Giving back is important to Crossman, a 42-year-old cancer survivor and single father who runs food drives and leads his 10-year-old daughter’s Girl Scout troop.
“Life is short,” he said this week. “If I can change somebody’s life by a small gesture, then I am going to do it.”
Two years ago, Crossman’s spirit of giving helped prompt the Vista Chamber of Commerce to select his repair shop as Small Business of the Year.
For the car giveaway, Crossman has assembled a team of three judges, including Tapia, to read through the dozens of nominations and select the next winner.
The winner will be announced at the Vista Rod Run, a classic car show held Aug. 6 in downtown Vista.
Tapia knows what it is to need a car. He said his daughter Nina has a rare condition known as Retts Syndrome. She does not speak, has limited use of her hands and relies on a walker or wheelchair to get around.
Tapia is a stay-at-home dad because she requires round-the-clock assistance. His wife is a librarian at an Oceanside elementary school.
When his car broke down last year, he and his wife were forced to borrow a vehicle to get their daughter to doctor’s visits in San Diego. He heard about Crossman’s giveaway, wrote his own nomination letter and was humbled when they were selected.
“For me and my wife, all we could do was break down and cry,” Tapia said.
More information about Crossman’s giveaway can be found on the repair shop’s web page, tjcrossmansautorepair.com
To submit a nomination, email Crossman at tj@tjcrossmansautorepair.com. Nomination letters can also be sent to him at 1148 N. Melrose Drive, Suite A, Vista, CA 92083.
All entries must be received no later than Aug. 1.
teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com
(760) 529-4945
Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT
UPDATES:
This story has been updated to reflect the correct date of the Vista Rod Run as Aug. 6.
