Oil changes, flat tires and dead batteries are just a few of the automotive repairs youth at McFadden are learning how to fix as part of “Car Smart,” a 2018 State Volunteer Resource Council Innovation Grant program. The funding came from the SVRC but it took the generosity of Tim Miller, owner of Grapevine Motors and a committed volunteer at the halfway house, and Oswaldo “Ozzie” Patino, a certified auto mechanic, to get the program off the ground. Miller recently delivered a black 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt to the Ranch. “When Mike (Mike Stine President of the McFadden Community Advisory Council) asked if I would donate a car I said yes,” said Miller. “It’s a standard and needs work but it drives. “ The Cobalt, in fact, was not the clunker one might have expected. Staff noticed that the car appeared to still be a nice ride. Miller replied that “all his cars are nice.” He added that he started working on cars when he was a teenager an...
The Texas Juvenile Justice Department: Transforming Young Lives and Creating Safer Communities