Most career changes don't involve trading a ministry for a torque wrench. Cathy Heying's did. She'll tell the story at the Bloomington Federated Woman's Club's meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Minnesota Valley Country Club, 6300 Auto Club Road.
Heying left church ministry at 38 and went to automotive school at Dunwoody College of Technology. She then founded The Lift Garage, which she started to "prevent homelessness through providing affordable vehicle repairs." It began in a vacant car wash in South Minneapolis. Today it's a full-service nonprofit shop that uses grants and donations to keep low-income Minnesotans on the road, organizers said.
The idea is simple, and anyone who has watched a transmission estimate eat a month's rent will get it. If your car dies, you can lose the job you drive to, and things can slide from there. The Lift charges customers $25 an hour for labor and sells parts at a 7.5% markup, according to the nonprofit. It says repairs there typically cost about half what a for-market shop would charge. The shop, now at 2401 E. Lake St. in Minneapolis, also does free pre-purchase inspections, so buyers can find out about a lemon before they own it.
Her talk is titled "From minister to mechanic: the story of The Lift Garage and lessons learned." Per the club's schedule, check-in and socializing start at 11:15 a.m., the business meeting at 11:30, lunch at noon, and Heying's program at 12:45 p.m. Things wrap up around 1:30.
Lunch costs $37, and you have to reserve. The club asks for reservations a week ahead, which means the deadline is basically now. If you want a seat, contact Membership Chair Sally Irrgang at [email protected] soon. Details are on the club's website.
The club was founded in 1962 and belongs to the General Federation of Women's Clubs. It's a community service and philanthropy group, and its causes include VEAP, Oasis for Youth and Cornerstone Advocacy Service. A speaker whose shop works to keep people out of poverty and homelessness fits right in with that list.
