Hands of the Carpenter is a nonprofit organization in Golden that assists single mothers with their transportation needs. It specifically aids in vehicle maintenance, repair and purchase. The organization has affiliated shops across the county and is expanding into the metro area.

According to Daniel Mondragon, the organization's resource development director, Hands of the Carpenter's mission is to “offer hope to single women with dependent children, while providing automobile services, partnering in their efforts to be employed and pursue economic self-sufficiency.”

“The organization was formed after founder Dan Georgopulos and others established an effort to assist single women in their church community by working on practical needs around their homes,” Mondragon said.  “The volunteers soon learned there were many single women across the Denver metro area who were faced with obstacles preventing self-sufficiency.”

Georgopulos became CEO, a role he still serves today, 20 years later.

The organization operates two primary repair facilities in Golden and  Aurora.

Hands has two primary programs for single mothers it serves, the TLC program and the Lift UP Program.

“The TLC Program is the entry point for all new clients to access a vehicle assessment and an initial automotive service that addresses an immediate transportation need,” Mondragon explained. “Women who come with a car not worth fixing may be eligible to obtain a car that was donated to Hands and prepared by Hands professional technicians.”

The Lift Up program goes a bit further for the mothers who need it.

“Single moms may then be invited into the Lift UP Program to receive ongoing repairs, maintenance and car care education for up to three years to support their efforts to maintain employment and achieve economic self-sufficiency,” Mondragon said. “Most clients come in an average of two to three times per year. The aim is to teach the women the importance of consistent care of their cars, establish care habits, and help them understand and prepare to afford quality car care.”

Mondragon also mentioned a current program that Hands is running. “Hands is currently offering a complimentary oil change and vehicle assessment to single mothers,” he said. “The aim is to provide information to the vehicle owners before an emergency issue arises. The team is also able to determine if the woman and her car can be invited to formally apply to receive Hands’ ongoing services.”

The Hands team offers mothers the expertise of professional mechanics. According to Mondragon, the organization has:

• Three experienced and certified professional technicians
• Two service advisors who keep the women informed and provide education.
• One professional who drives Hands’ tow truck to pick up clients and donated cars and helps handle the sale of donated cars unusable in Hands programs.

They also have Automotive Services Director Crystal Scott, who helps make the process so much easier for women. according to Hands client Anjelina Trujillo, a Lakewood mother of four kids.

Trujillo said that the Hands programs helped her twice, first with a car from the Lift Up program. It was later totaled in an accident. Trujillo bought another car from a private seller recommended by a friend. Hands offered inspection services that Trujillo said revealed some devastating news.

"They told me that there were so many repairs that it was way more expensive to fix it than to actually just get a new car," she said.

Trujillo took their advice and kept the car, which she said died on the road a few weeks later.

“I hadn't even had a chance to talk to them about what a new car would look like or anything,” Trujillo said. “And so that kind of kicks things into high gear.”

She started working with Hands and soon the organization had a car for Trujillo at 75%, meaning the organization covered 75% of the car’s cost.

An Aurora single mom of three who asked for her name not to be used in this article also shared how Hands helped her family.

“I think it was about March 2023,” she said. “I was looking for an honest mechanic because the person who used to fix my car moved to California.”

She received word about the program through her employer’s work/life balance program, which led to a referral to Hands.

“As soon as I walked in, everyone was so friendly,” she said. “You could tell that they cared and wanted to help with whatever was wrong with my car. They checked my whole car out and let me know what was wrong. I was able to get the majority of it fixed at a reduced cost which was amazing because I am taking care of three kids and my funds are limited.”

There are a few ways that mothers can apply, according to Margarita Pineda, client services director for Hands of the Carpenter. They can go to HandsOfTheCarpenter.org and use the “Contact Us” page on the website. They can also click “Contact Client Services” to send an email directly to Pineda and her team. She said mothers can also call the organization directly at 303-551-0307. Pineda also offered the direct email care@ehands.org.

The website also has an application that mothers can fill out and submit. “Client Services contacts the applicant after they have submitted their application within 24 hours of receiving it,” Pineda said. 

For now, the organization is located in Jefferson and Arapahoe counties, with hopes of spreading to the entire Denver Metro area. Trujillo and the Aurora single mom both recommend the service to single moms in need of help.

“If you have a problem you can call get in quickly and they'll fix it for you. If you have to leave your car overnight. They provide a loaner car that way you can continue to take care of whatever business you have to take care of while your car is being repaired. The prices are reasonable and I didn't have to pay an arm and a leg to get my car in working order. This is by far the best program and auto body shop I have ever been to. I will never go anywhere else.”

You can find more information on Hands of the Carpenter and an application for services on HandsOfTheCarpenter.org.