Dave Velez of Plainsboro is finally getting to use the auto mechanics course he studied at Lincoln Tech right after high school. For five years he has volunteered for the He Cares, We Care CARS Ministry program at Princeton Alliance Church at Schalks Crossing and Scudder Mill roads.
He was part of the team that recently rebuilt a 1991 Buick wagon to serve a mother and her seven children. After their central New Jersey apartment was destroyed by fire, a move to temporary housing resulted in two hours of riding two different buses to pick up the children and get them all home.
“The mission of the ministry is to meet the transportation needs of people who are unable to meet those needs themselves,” says Mary Lynn Mura, the director of the program.”It’s more than just cars. It’s about helping people get on their feet again.”
Velez has lived in Plainsboro for 10 years with his wife, Lisa. Their children include David, a freshman at High School North; Dennis, a sixth grader at Community Middle School; and Lisa, a first grade student at Wicoff.
Velez works at an auto parts warehouse in Piscataway. “I never got the chance to use my talents,” he says. “Princeton Alliance Church gave me the opportunity to get my hands dirty.”
