About Impact Garage

Impact Garage is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to relieve a financial burden by providing low-cost car repairs and free pre-purchase inspections for low wage earning families in the Dayton, OH area.

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How Impact Garage Was Founded

Impact Garage was born from a simple yet powerful realization—the life-changing role that reliable transportation plays in people’s lives.

Terri’s journey with cars started in her family’s garage, where she spent countless evenings and weekends holding a flashlight or handing her dad tools as he repaired vehicles. She always assumed he was earning extra money to support their family. But years later, as a Social Worker, she came to a profound realization—her dad wasn’t fixing cars for financial gain. He was doing it to help people in need.

That same spirit of generosity and service resurfaced in late 2020 when Terri witnessed firsthand the struggles of those around her who couldn’t afford necessary car repairs. The idea of a nonprofit auto repair shop took hold, and when she shared it with others, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Inspired by the support, a plan took shape to bring Impact Garage to life.

The following months were a whirlwind of research, networking, and planning. From securing a location to navigating the legal process, every detail was carefully mapped out. In November 2021, the paperwork was filed, and by January 2023, Impact Garage was officially recognized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The vision became a reality when the shop opened its doors on Industrial Lane in September 2023.

Today, Impact Garage is more than a repair shop—it’s a vital resource in the community, helping individuals and families break through the financial barriers of reliable transportation. It’s not just about fixing cars; it’s about restoring dignity, independence, and hope.


“…we repaired donated cars in our own garages and gifted them to families in our community.”

Our Values

Excellence

In all we do, we hold ourselves to the highest standards. We strive for continuous improvement.

Respect

We recognize the dignity of all people. We offer others—and ourselves—patience, kindness, love and forgiveness. 

empower

We support each other – our customers and their families, our colleagues, the community, and ourselves in building a better tomorrow.

Integrity

We will always do what is right for the customer, the volunteer, the donor, the employee or the circumstance.  

Our Leadership Team

  • Wayne Staigl
    Wayne Staigl
    Board Member, Vice President
  • Ben Horvath
    Ben Horvath
    Board Member, Secretary
  • Ben Guthrie
    Ben Guthrie
    Board Member, Treasurer
  • Terri Fleck
    Terri Fleck
    Board Member, President & Founder
Wayne Staigl
Board Member, Vice President
It all started for me about 12 years ago when I was asked to help a family, new to the country and who only spoke Spanish, to fix their dryer which stopped heating. I am an electrical engineer and my friend who asked me to help knew that I was pretty handy. My wife spoke Spanish so I took her with me to translate. I think I replaced the heating element. Since then I have helped many families in the Greater Dayton area with appliances, lawn equipment, home repair, and car repair. Many of the families are refugees, speak very little English, and don’t have much support. I do it for a few reasons. First and foremost, Jesus served so I want to serve. God has given me the ability to fix many things, and I am just using the gifts he has given me. Secondly, honestly it’s a little selfish, I like the feeling I get when I see the smile on someones face or the joy in their heart when I am able to help them out. Lastly, I don’t like seeing people get taken advantage of. It happens way more often than most people realize, especially when it comes to cars. If I can take a few hours out of my week to save someone a little bit of money and a lot of headache, it is well worth my time. My piece, however, is only a small fragment of the International Ministry that has been helping struggling families in Dayton. Impact Garage, I believe, will help make the people that I work with be more effective and offer a broader scope of service for vehicles that are not luxuries, but essential tools needed for sustaining families.
Ben Horvath
Board Member, Secretary
I have married to my wife, Kayla, for 10 years. We have 2 children. Emerson (son) is 9 and Reagan (daughter) is 6 on November 27th. I received most of my financial background on the Equipment Services side of General Electric. I managed a team of 20 people and oversaw 4 locations on the maintenance side. I managed the P&L on a daily basis and reported numbers to our executive managers on a monthly basis. I worked there for 10 years before I decided to start my own business. I have owned my business, The Trailer Doctors, for 14 years. I oversee all aspects of the business, including forecasting and managing the P&L for the business. I was on the finance team with our previous church, Beavercreek Christian Church, for over 5 years and helped to create and maintain budgets. I was elected to be on the financial team for Southwest Church starting in January 2023. I am also on the board for the Miami Valley Transportation Club where we oversee the budgets for our 230 members.
Ben Guthrie
Board Member, Treasurer
I am married with 3 children. Professionally, I have over 25 years of assurance and advisory experience in public accounting with Deloitte and Touche LLP. I have served both publicly held and private clients. I have served on several not-for-profit boards during my career, including United States Air Force Museum Foundation, American Red Cross Dayton Chapter, and Beavercreek Soccer Association. I have been the treasurer at Beavercreek Christian Church for over 25 years and am currently an Elder. I am excited about Impact Garage and the opportunity to fill a great need in the Miami Valley area. Lower income individuals/families often struggle with car repair and maintenance. Reliable transportation is very important for their financial stability. I have seen individuals and families struggle with this. Due desperation and limited resources, they often aren’t able to make a decision that provides a reliable long term solution for their transportation needs. Resources are limited for them to receive assistance with their transportation needs. I am excited to be a part of a solutions for this issue.
Terri Fleck
Board Member, President & Founder