The Kindness Matters Podcast
So. Much. Division. Let's talk about how to change that. Re-engage as neighbors, friends, co-workers and family. Let's set out to change the world. Strike that. Change A World. One person at a time, make someone's life a little better and then do it again tomorrow and the day after that, through kindness.
Kindness is a Super-Power that each of us has within us. It is so powerful it has the potential to change not only your life but those around you, too. Let's talk about kindness.
The Kindness Matters Podcast
Driving Change: How Cars for Neighbors Tackles Transportation Insecurity
Transportation insecurity sounds like a cold, technical term—until you realize it's the difference between keeping a job and unemployment, accessing healthcare or suffering without it. While we readily understand food banks and homeless shelters, the critical nature of reliable transportation often goes unrecognized.
Steve Landau, president of Cars for Neighbors, joins the Kindness Matters podcast to shine light on this overlooked crisis. For 25 years, this nonprofit has been quietly repairing cars for low-income residents in Anoka County, Minnesota—a suburban area where public transportation is sparse and unreliable vehicles mean lost opportunities.
The conversation reveals shocking statistics: over 40% of Americans have gone into debt due to car repairs at some point in their lives. Even more concerning, a third of people cannot afford a repair exceeding $500 without sacrificing other essential needs or spiraling into debt. With most basic repairs starting at $1,000, it's easy to see how a simple mechanical failure can trigger a devastating cascade of consequences.
What makes Cars for Neighbors remarkable isn't just the practical assistance they provide, but the profound impact of their work. As one grateful recipient expressed: "Love, grace, mercy, compassion, charity and caring—I have experienced those things from Cars for Neighbors." This testimony beautifully captures how what appears to be a simple mechanical service transforms into something deeply human and life-changing.
Through partnerships with local repair shops and careful vetting of applicants, Cars for Neighbors stretches every donated dollar to help neighbors maintain independence and stability. They become that crucial support system for people lacking the social network or financial resources to handle unexpected automotive expenses.
Whether you're mechanically inclined or simply want to support a worthy cause, this conversation will change how you think about transportation's role in community stability. Tune in to discover how fixing cars becomes a powerful act of kindness that keeps communities moving forward, one repair at a time.
This podcast is a proud member of the Mayday Media Network. If you have an idea for a podcast and need some production assistance or have a podcast and are looking for a supportive network to join, check out maydaymedianetwork.com.
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Well, hello there and welcome. You are listening to the Kindness Matters podcast and I am your host, mike Rathbun. What is this podcast all about? It's about kindness. It's a pushback against everything negative that we see in the news and on social media today, and it's a way to highlight people, organizations, that are simply striving to make their little corner of the world a little better place. If you want to join in on the conversation, feel free, Go ahead and follow us on all of your social media feeds. We're on Facebook, instagram, tiktok. We're even on LinkedIn under Mike Rathbun. Check us out. We're even on LinkedIn under Mike Rathbun. Check us out and, in the meantime, sit back, relax, enjoy and we'll get into the Kindness Matters podcast.
Speaker 1:Hey, welcome to the show everybody. Fantastic having you here. Thank you so much for joining, for spending 30 minutes of your time listening to me and my guest today. I do really, really appreciate it, and you know what I'd appreciate even more If you could tell your friends, family, co-workers, strangers on the street and maybe the deli guy at the grocery store about the Kindness Matters podcast. It would be very much appreciated. But I'm happy that you're here and that's the important thing. I have a fantastic show for you today.
Speaker 1:My guest today is Steve Landau, and he is the president of a nonprofit organization called Cars for Neighbors, and it's located in Anoka County, minnesota. And this is something that, when we think of nonprofit organizations, we think of food shelves, we think of homeless shelters, we think of mentorship for kids and that kind of thing we very rarely ever think about transportation right and so I thought it was important to share Steve with you all. I can't hog him all to myself, as much as I might like to. So welcome to the show, steve. Thank you so much for taking the time to come on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thanks for having me Mike Pleasure. The pleasure is all mine. So, yeah, let's talk about this, because we've all heard about food insecurity or health insecurity, where folks just don't know when or if they're going to be able to access either of those two things before, but until today I had never heard of the term transportation insecurity. And really that's what you guys do, isn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's the causes that you mentioned. Right, they are basic needs that everybody everybody thinks of top of mind, right? Food, shelter but transportation is one of those dominoes that oftentimes causes the others to be in need. So, yeah, I'm excited to talk transportation today, but more so I get to volunteer with Cars for Neighbors and I have the pleasure of chairing and being the volunteer president of this organization and being the volunteer president of this organization. But the thing that drew me to the organization and when you talk transportation, the organization is Cars for Neighbors and specifically, we repair cars for neighbors and in my mind, the piece that people focus on oftentimes is the car piece, which is the practical need. But the thing that drew me in was the practical need of our neighbors. When it comes to what is, when I say the domino that might cause the others, I think of for myself. Even I'm in different stages of life where resources may or may not have been available for the things I want to have. It was, at times, the things that we need, right.
Speaker 2:And when you think about the unexpected scenarios that come up most commonly in any of our lives, that can throw our finances into a loop, that can put us into debt and then cause other things to need to be put on a credit card or we need to borrow money for health expenses, car repairs those are in my mind, and not just in my mind.
Speaker 2:Studies show those are the top pieces that people, no matter how prepared they might think they are for the next stage, those are the major expenses that aren't often planned for or aren't planned for to the extent that they might affect somebody's life.
Speaker 2:So, cars for Neighbors yeah, we help step in to help people with car repair needs that have either fallen into a crisis of a few other dominoes that have happened in their lives, or they're just getting going on reinventing what life can look like and have gotten a new job and are back on their feet again, and then they now need that car to get to work. But there's a clunking that starts to happen and if they ignore it it turns into a screech, which turns into thousands of dollars that they don't quite have yet and they may not have the network that is going to come in and help, support them. So we get to be that that that friend or that family member that they may not have to come in and help with the one time, like let's get, get you back on your feet again before it spirals into something else.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure, and you were talking about dominoes and I, you know all, oftentimes when we talk about like I would, I've spoken to directors of food shelves and they talk about how you know these people were, they were fine, they didn't need the food shelf, they could go buy groceries and what have you. And then they had that one thing, and it was generally. People talk about medical expenses. Right, you have a huge medical bill that you didn't see coming and that caused you to be food insecure because you have X number of resources during the month and this big bill just dropped.
Speaker 1:But car repair, especially these days, because car repairs are getting more and more expensive, are they not? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, and even though we don't necessarily think about it, that could absolutely be the case. And you know, I mean I've got friends, um, and you know I, I mean we, I've got friends. If I needed a break job, for example, I know somebody I could call to help me with that. But oftentimes people don't necessarily either they either lack that network that you were talking about, and and then, and then they don't know you guys exist, yeah, yeah, and then they don't know you guys exist.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. And if you talk about expenses going up, I saw there was a study done about five years ago or so and it conveyed that 40% it was over 40% of people at some point in their life have gone into debt because of car repair.
Speaker 2:So you talk about the relatability of like this is not something that just affects right, a small percentage of the community it affects a large portion of people at different stages of life, depending on different circumstances and depending on the dominoes that we referenced that fall, but it was interesting to also see that it was something along the lines of a third of people at any point would not be able to pay for more than a $500 car repair without going into debt or without it sacrificing other basic needs at that point, and so this was five years ago.
Speaker 2:Most of the car repairs that we see coming into the shops that we partner with are minimum $1,000 to take care of a basic need to keep the car on the road, and so we yeah, and oftentimes it ends up being $1,500.
Speaker 2:That's kind of the cap that we end up putting toward the car repairs to help keep the car back on the road. Um, but, uh, yeah, it's. It has grown exponentially over the past few years and so, um, income levels have started to rise with that, but not to the same extent that the cost has has risen. So, um, we're saying we need continue to be there, and it's through gracious donors that power.
Speaker 1:This though, oh for sure, and I saw a stat, since you were talking stats 16%, and this is okay. This is 2022. So this is three years ago 16% of adults earning less than the federal poverty level lacked reliable transportation in the last 12 months, compared with just 2.9% of adults who earned at least 400 times the federal poverty level. I knew I was going to mess it up Federal poverty level, and knew I was going to mess it up Federal poverty level, and that just blows me away. And because it's one thing if you live in an urban area, right Like Minneapolis, let's say, or St Paul, because if your car breaks down, odds are pretty good you can find a bus or a train to get you to where you need to be doctor's appointment, grocery store but now and we're in ham lake, we're in anoka county, and it's what are we?
Speaker 2:third ring suburb I don't say third ring I I don't know it's, it's county, more than one or two rings, for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Right, yeah, and there really is not a lot of of mass transportation out here in this area. So I think it becomes even more critical at that stage for areas like ours. And, and I have no idea what happens, you know out in a, you know in a really rural area where you have to travel. You know 50, 60 miles to get to a, a store. Yeah, I'm sorry, I heard a noise. I apologize, um so, and I have absolutely no idea where I was going with that, steve.
Speaker 2:Well, I will say yes, because that's kind of if you're going to hear something in response. Well, what about public transportation? Well, like you said, if you're far enough out and removed, said, if you're far enough out and removed, this was a need that, fortunately, people that came before me, they saw this need. This organization has been in existence for 25 years, that's right Congratulations.
Speaker 2:Thank you. Thank you, but, like I said, that's a credit to people. I've been involved with this organization for about five years, so 20 years prior to my being here and now, working alongside of other great volunteers and staff. This small nonprofit has continued to see the need and when they started it it was a group of local community members and churches that said how can we help people? The original name was Free to Be how can we help people be free to be in order to live their life to the fullest? And then realized through renditions of the organization that the biggest impact that was being made was through repairing people's cars. That was the one piece that was the most impactful that they could make a difference with. And it has continued from volunteer mechanics early on to now partnering with a primary shop that offers really reliable car repair services at a discounted rate for us, so we are able to stretch the dollars further and we're able to vet the need of people coming in.
Speaker 2:So if people want to help with that sort of domino, as we've described it here in this conversation, the biggest question that we come across when people donate to any and I've been working with other nonprofits throughout the years and the question that comes back from people who donate is how can you ensure that these dollars go to somebody who actually needs them for one? If that's the question that you're asking, personally, I feel like, okay, if you're giving and you're hoping that it makes a difference. You can't control all the variables on the back end, but I'll say that when you're working with an organization that, at least, is looking at tax return documents to see where they fall within the guidelines of very low to low poverty levels and you know those are the groups that are being served through an organization and they're going to go toward a very specific piece that is going to help in most any circumstance, keep people be self-sustainable, keep people working, keep people in jobs and and keep them getting to their medical appointments, shopping, their kids to and from school.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:You get that sort of assurance when you work with an organization such as a Cars for Neighbors or whatever your local nonprofit is in your area that is helping in a very specific way for a very specific need.
Speaker 1:Yeah, now walk me through the application process. Somebody they've got a car repair they need and they find out about you guys. What goes into getting them the help that they need?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a pretty straightforward application and has some basic questions about really some demographic information, because we do rely on some grants that that we have to report back to when it comes to that. But ultimately we're looking at what are your what, what sort of income are you claiming against what our criteria is? And then we ask a basic question of how is this car repair going to help you? And for a lot of this it is just affirmation of hearing the stories of what comes out of this. So in some cases it's, it's going to help me. We've literally had the comment put down of I just got a new job and I cannot afford to lose this job and my car is the only way that will get me there. Please help.
Speaker 2:In other cases it's I have medical appointments that I have to get to, I'm on a fixed income and I don't have the resources to repair my car right now, but I have these unexpected bills that have come up and it just humanizes something that is a very oftentimes when you talk about the mission of car repair, it can sound very transactional when you talk about car repair.
Speaker 2:Car repair. It can sound very transactional when you talk about car repair To say, oh, we replaced this many tires this month in Minnesota, going into winter for people that weren't going to have fresh tires on their car. It doesn't have the same impact as hearing the story of who is this? These are real people with real needs and oftentimes, real circumstances that are outside of their own control that we're helping step in for and through that whole thing that I just said.
Speaker 2:I actually forgot what your initial question was, so I hope that I answered it in that process.
Speaker 1:It works for me. Actually, I was going to. I was going to ask you if you had any testimonials or real-life examples of how this has helped some people. Do you have any favorites?
Speaker 2:You know I actually keep a little log on my phone of a few of them. Funny you should mention that. Give me a second here. Let me see if I can get it.
Speaker 1:Now, do you guys still do? I know at one time you did weekend car clinics where people would get together and just do basic maintenance on the cars. Or maybe you don't do that anymore.
Speaker 2:We don't do that anymore. I came on during the pandemic time onto this board, so there were a lot of limitations at that point. But I will say we're a small, nimble organization that's open to opportunities as they come up. So if we have volunteers once again who are skilled in that area and want to get involved in this community, please reach out Because, like I said, we are open to putting passionate people where they can use their skills. So if I'm someone who can't turn a wrench.
Speaker 2:I can, I can the lights light up on my dashboard, but I am not going to be the person that's out there working on a car, and nobody wants me to be doing that for them. But if you have that skill set, please, please, please, reach out, and we'd love to.
Speaker 1:I'm pretty sure the term idiot light was invented for me, after me, or something like that, that's a good term I did find.
Speaker 2:So I do have stories off the top of my head that I could reference, but I like to quote first-round responses, since we collect that information, and one of these quotes that I saw that had come through from one of the people that we have served is this, and I think it matches up really well with what the name of this podcast is so kindness matters. This person said love, grace, mercy, compassion, charity and caring. Those are very valuable qualities. I have experienced those things from Cars for Neighbors. Thank you so much for helping me with my car repairs. In a crisis in my life. It means so much to be able to have a dependable and reliable car. What you do makes a world of difference, Wow.
Speaker 1:That's so cool.
Speaker 2:Right, I would love to have like. This is a billboard in itself for the outcome that you hope to have come through any nonprofit serving basic needs. But again, when we talk car repair we don't necessarily think the words love, grace, mercy, compassion, charity and caring, but the car repair is the means to be able to live those pieces out and we happen to be positioned to be a conduit for people who want to make a difference for other people in their community.
Speaker 2:But they might not have the person come up to them personally and say I'm in need of a car repair and I need some help. That's not going to be a common, everyday occurrence. That happens in our lives. But guess what? There is a path that people can go to and it's as simple as going online, fill out a quick application, send it in to us and we take it from there and help the person that's right in front of us.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure I have. Actually, my wife and I have a home cleaning business. That's my paying job, this is my fun job and we had employees at one time and we had one person and she had two kids, single mom, and her van was constantly overheating and I'm like I'm useless to you. I wish I could help you. I wish I knew what to do. I have absolutely no idea. She didn't have any extra money laying around to go get it fixed. I said call Cars for Neighbors. I mean you guys really need to be. I don't know you don't advertise or anything, do you? Do you have fundraisers?
Speaker 2:We do. We do have fundraisers. We have in the fall we have our largest fundraiser, which is called Carcino Night. So it is funny money games that we are playing as a community and all the proceeds go to Cars for Neighbors and car repair and we actually just partnered. We have some businesses and corporations that will put on events on behalf of Cars for Neighbors, so we have a few of those that take place throughout the year and those tend to rotate a little bit more because we have different businesses that want to be more involved in the community. So it's great to see local commerce step up and say we want to pull people together as well in our networks and connect them to the cause. But yeah, outside of that, we're fortunate to have a local billboard company donate a billboard and promotional spot to Cars for Neighbors, along with some other nonprofits here in the area.
Speaker 2:So we've had a prominent spot on a local highway recently to help people know that they can donate cars to cars for neighbors and we will turn that into car repairs for for others uh, as well.
Speaker 1:So I haven't seen it yet. Is it out on 65?
Speaker 2:yeah, yeah, uh, wait, no, actually just a little further down, uh, on 10, and I'm not sure which one of those billboards.
Speaker 1:Okay, there's a series of electronic billboards oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, that are nice, nice, and because I, I think and I don't know, um, and you've, you've been involved in non-profits for quite a while, for what? Most of your working life, haven't you? Yeah?
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:What is it about people who get involved in nonprofits and they just keep staying with them? It must be just a. Is it a call to serve?
Speaker 2:You know, um, I'll, I'll tell you my path, because my path might be different than than others. But, uh, I'm guessing that there are pieces that line up with with others. Um, seen that there are pieces that line up with with others? Um, so I started, uh, as a I was a physiology and exercise science major out of college, which makes perfect sense to go into the non-profit world, right, I mean, it's just a brainer no, not at all okay uh so I oh, you were being sarcastic.
Speaker 1:I get it, sorry, I kind of went over my head, yeah you cut that out of you.
Speaker 2:No, we'll leave it. All right. So I started personal training for a group of small training studios and my goal was that I was I was going to come out intrinsically. I knew I wanted to help people and I wanted to help people with healthy habits and to live better lives, and it was really fulfilling in that regard.
Speaker 2:But, I then learned about, as I was looking at, what the next opportunity was going to be. I learned that, hey, I could do the same thing, working with potentially a different demographic of people that might not be able to afford my services and have funds go toward other programs. I partnered up with the YMCA. I started working with the Y. It was my first nonprofit work experience and really, like I said, it was the opportunity to use my skill set that I had gone and obtained a four-year degree and was now using it and now I could use that skill set. That was not only going to help the person in front of me but also was going to help with youth development opportunities and it was going to help with homelessness prevention work that was being done through the Y and it was going to help kids that couldn't afford swim lessons learn how to swim. And I thought what a better way to use your skills than to help others beyond what I'm able to do by myself, what I'm able to do by myself. So, when it came to working with nonprofits, I ended up with the Y for over a decade and served in different capacities that took me into more organizational, leadership type of roles and partnering with other nonprofits. And that's actually how I got connected with Cars for Neighbors was I was working in the same community as Cars for Neighbors and we were at the time I mentioned.
Speaker 2:I started with Cars for Neighbors during COVID.
Speaker 2:Well, at the time, with the Y, we had transitioned into serving food for people that were out of jobs and were in need of assistance, and they were driving up to the Y for food distribution.
Speaker 2:And the executive director, who I knew from Cars for Neighbors, said hey, while these people are driving up, you mind, if we put a sign out here that says, if you're in need of car repair or you know somebody in need, reach out, cars for Neighbors can help. And I said, said this is a no-brainer and I learned more about the organization and, yeah, it helped keep me connected to the non-profit world, even after, professionally, I'm not any longer with the y, but I still find those connections to uh, stay connected to in in the easiest way to say it is. I continue to try to find ways to use my skill set to impact others in a much bigger way than I could do by myself. So I can't turn a wrench, but people that Cars for Neighbors work with they can, and I know what the need is like and, because I can't turn a wrench, I know what it's like also to have the lights come on.
Speaker 1:You can put yourself in the client's position.
Speaker 2:And I could use some assistance in the next step.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we were talking before the show and you were talking about your time at the Y, I had no idea that the Y was involved. I mean, yes, as a child I took swimming lessons at the Y, I think I don't know why. Well, I mean I know why, obviously, but they didn't stick by the way, I can't swim to this day, but that's neither here nor there. But dude, the homelessness thing, I had no idea you guys were that the Y was involved in that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:They do a lot of non-profit stuff.
Speaker 2:Yep, yep. So they have a whole unit that is the youth intervention team and they serve. At the time it was primarily out of an office in northeast Minneapolis and they would do street outreach services. They would work on job training skills and get kids connected to. How do you, how do you set up a path to success and a lot of times working in collaboration with social services and county resources, to be able to say how can the why help step in and fill in a gap.
Speaker 2:So again, passionate people, right, how can I use my skill set in a way that may not be the whole wraparound services that somebody needs to create a self-sustaining life, but you can play just a role in it. There are a lot of people along the way that are also in that same mindset, and if we can all be working in that same direction, the world's going to be a better place.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, absolutely. I absolutely love this. I love I'm losing my earphone, whatever I, just because and the need for something like this, I think, is far greater than anybody really even knows. And I love that you guys are out there doing it and that you're able to provide these services. And if I had a hat, it would be off to you guys for that and you touched on it briefly, but congratulations. You guys are celebrating 25 years this year, right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yep, 25 years this fall.
Speaker 1:Are you having a big gala?
Speaker 2:We are having our signature Carcino Night event.
Speaker 1:Okay, just a little bigger, a little better, because of 25 years.
Speaker 2:Just a little bigger and better because of 25 years, but uh, it's still the same cause. It's always been, and we're hoping to have more people rally around it this year that's fantastic.
Speaker 1:Um, I will have your, your website url. Your link can't come up with words In the show notes for anybody. If you want to donate, this would be a fantastic cause to donate to. I know we're all stretched thin these days. So if you live in the Ham Lake area of Minnesota and you're handy with cars and you don't have any money to donate, but you have time, and you're handy with cars and you don't have any money to donate, but you have time, certainly reach out to Steve and the folks over at Cars for Neighbors. Do we say the business you're partnering with, do we shout them?
Speaker 2:out. Oh yeah, yeah, we service through Meineke Car Care in Ham Lake and they've been exceptional partners for us.
Speaker 1:Family-run business right.
Speaker 2:Family-run business. Yeah, Yep, they've been great to work with and they have a heart toward our mission and that's the reason they partner with us. And, like I said, if it wasn't for their partnership, we would not be able to stretch the dollars nearly as far as we're able to, because labor is a big expense when it comes to car care.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. Yes, yes, for sure. Yeah, and I know them. As I mentioned, my wife and I have a cleaning business and we have always taken our vehicles there for service and they are super fantastic and super amazing. They're fair, you know, and if you don't need this, Did I tell you that story? I took my car to someplace that was making a noise. The guy looked at me and went oh, you need this and this and this and this and this and this and this, and it's like $1,500, right worth of stuff that I needed. I'm like it's not going to be any time. I don't know why I went to that place, but I took it to Meineke and they're like you don't need any of that. I think the biggest one was a water pump, Like your water pump's gone out, and I went and took it to Meine at a Meineke, and they're like it's not. And that made me a customer for life, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that's a big part of it is knowing that who you're working with is ethical and is going to shoot straight with these are actual needs, right, and so they prioritize them for us and tell us these are the actual needs, these are the niceties further down the list and we focus on the needs in particular.
Speaker 1:Um, and it's been a great partnership for us well, I'm probably going to tag them when I promo this show then yep, yep, that works uh, steve, thank you so much for taking the time today. I really appreciate you and I appreciate your organization. Uh, you guys are doing such fantastic and needed work and keep on doing what you're doing, man.
Speaker 2:You as well, Mike. Appreciate you having me on.
Speaker 1:Thanks, I appreciate it. We will talk again soon. All right, sounds great. I want to thank you for taking this time to listen to this episode with my guest, steve Landau from Cars for Neighbors.
Speaker 1:I hope that you're able to take something positive from the time that you spent with us today. Maybe you'll be inspired, maybe you'll be motivated, maybe you'll be moved. Maybe you'll start a car repair nonprofit. Maybe you'll start a car repair nonprofit, whatever it is. If you've got any of those positive feelings, please share that with your family and friends. Let them know there's a podcast out there that gives you goosebumps from time to time. I am always striving to offer you a better podcast, so give me some feedback. Will you Let me know how you think I'm doing? Email me, leave me a message. It would mean the world. Also. Feel free to follow us on our social media pages like Facebook, instagram, linkedin and TikTok.
Speaker 1:This podcast is part of the Mayday Media Network. If you have an idea for a podcast and need some production assistance, or you already have a podcast and you're looking for a supportive network to join, check out maydaymedianetworkcom. And also make sure to check out the many different shows, like Afrocentric Spoil, my Movie Generation Mixtape In a Pickle Radio Show Wake Up and Dream with D'Anthony Palin, staxo, pax and the Time Pals. We'll be back again next week with a new episode and we would be honored if you would join us. You've been listening to the Kindness Matters Podcast. I'm your host, mike Rathbun. Have a fantastic week.
