St. Croix Valley Christians In Action provides free car repair, gives free cars and sells cars at reduced prices to people who earn 200% of the Federal Poverty level or less. Recipients learn Biblically based budgeting, develop a budget, work with a mentor and are coached. Part of the information given includes understanding how poverty and serious trauma experiences may be “holding a person back.” They then are able to maximize the car gift by knowing how many miles they can afford to drive a month and what dollars it will take to maintain the vehicle and eventually replace it. This is for residents of the Stillwater School District, Oakdale and Woodbury, Minnesota and for those referred by a pastor from outside of this area.
Mission Statement
St. Croix Valley Christians In Action seeks to assist churches in responding to individual and family needs in the church and in the community around it. Goal: To allow those in need, believers and non-believers, to see and experience God's love through the action of a community of believers. 1 John 3:18 (TLB) says, "Let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions.”
Our Objectives
To help fill some of the material needs of individuals and families in our community, while teaching them basic Christian-based financial principles as well as having them experience a Christian community. Through financial training we hope to help with more than just immediate needs. Through the experience of a Christian community we hope to connect individuals and families with local churches.
Priority order is that recipients and volunteers:
- Develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, accept Him as Lord and Savior and implement His commandments into their lives.
- Become involved in a local Christian Church.
- Become a better steward of the resources they are responsible for through developing a working budget.
- Have a vehicle that operates reliably, is maintained, and expenses and replacement are planned and saved for.
It is our desire to change lives for Christ. We want to provide long-term, effective “help” rather than to just “prolong their current misery” or “enable” unwise stewardship. We want to give people a “window of opportunity,” a time during which they will have less car repair expense and during which they can begin to save for future repair and replacement costs.