My name is Corey, and I’m a U.S. veteran and the founder of Mechanics For Vets, a small veteran-focused auto repair shop in Sioux City, Iowa.

Our mission is simple and non-negotiable: we do not charge veterans any labor on their repairs – they only pay for parts, nothing more.

For years, Mechanics For Vets has been the place veterans come when their only vehicle breaks down and they cannot afford a typical repair shop. When a veteran’s car or truck is down, it can mean missed work, missed medical appointments, and more stress on families that are already stretched thin. This shop exists so the cost of labor is never the reason a veteran is stranded.

Unfortunately, the future of Mechanics For Vets is now at serious risk.

A few months ago, our nonprofit status was revoked after required filings were not properly handled by the CPA who was responsible for our reporting. Losing that status meant losing access to grants, donations, and other support that organizations like ours depend on. We have been working to fix the damage and do everything the right way, but that mistake pushed us into a hole we have struggled to climb out of.

At the same time, the cost of everything it takes to run a shop has gone up: parts, tools, insurance, utilities, and the lease. Because we refuse to charge veterans labor, the shop simply does not bring in enough to cover all of those rising costs plus the debt that piled up when we were trying to keep the doors open and still say “yes” to every veteran who needed help. Personal credit cards, loans, and overdue bills are now stacked against us, and without help, closing the shop is becoming a real possibility.

I am also a 100% disabled veteran and stroke survivor. The stroke still affects my speech and energy, especially under stress. I do my best to keep turning wrenches and running the shop, but I cannot just “work more hours” or push my body indefinitely to make up for the financial shortfall. On paper, disability income makes it look like we are doing better than we really are, which has made it hard to qualify for traditional assistance.

If Mechanics For Vets closes, local veterans will lose a trusted place where they can get their vehicles repaired without ever being charged a dime in labor. It would mean fewer veterans getting to medical appointments, fewer veterans able to keep their jobs when a big repair hits, and the loss of a place where they know they will be treated fairly and with respect.

This GoFundMe is to stabilize Mechanics For Vets so we can:

• Catch up on the shop lease and utilities so we don’t lose the building

• Cover essential operating costs like insurance, tools, and basic overhead

• Pay down the most urgent high-interest debt that accumulated while we were keeping veteran vehicles on the road with no labor charges

• Get the professional help needed to properly restore nonprofit status and rebuild sustainable funding so the mission can continue long-term

Our goal is to raise $2500 a month to stop the immediate crisis and give Mechanics For Vets a real chance to survive and rebuild. Your support will help keep a veteran-run shop alive and ensure that veterans in Sioux City and the surrounding area continue to have a place where they will never be charged labor for the repairs they depend on.

If you believe no veteran should be stuck without a safe, working vehicle because of labor costs, please consider donating and sharing this fundraiser with others. Every bit of support helps keep this promise alive: veterans pay for parts, but never for labor.