CLEARVIEW – Randy Littlefield is grateful now for all the auto shop classes he took in high school.
Twice a year at Clearview Foursquare Church, Littlefield is part of a large volunteer crew that changes the oil and performs a little troubleshooting on vehicles owned by single mothers.
On Saturday, the crew worked on nearly 100 cars belonging to single-parent families.
“It was a fantastic day,” Littlefield said. “Our biggest ever and a good Mother’s Day weekend event.”
An Arlington resident, Littlefield, 39, is the national sales manager for Camano Island Coffee Roasters. Formerly of Mill Creek, he also serves as a worship pastor and has been with the church since it began hosting the car care event eight years ago.
“At first it was just a guy thing,” he said. “Then our wives got involved and the event improved tremendously. Women’s organizational abilities are far better.”
Littlefield’s wife, Tiffany, and their kids, Cody,13, and Faith, 7, also volunteer for Single Mom’s Car Care, offered free of charge by the church each May and October. The event is an important project for the family and a way to instill volunteering as a lifestyle, Littlefield said.
Tiffany and her friend Kris McLoud organize the day, which requires the work of about 140 volunteers. Cody drains the used oil and Faith helps entertain the young children of the moms, many of whom also take partake of the free haircuts, manicures, family photos, gift bags, child care and lunch buffet offered by the church.
But the main event is the car care, which includes tire and brake checks, vacuuming and car washes. On occasion while troubleshooting, Littlefield and others on the crew have found problems that have necessitated quick trips to the nearby auto parts store.
“I just like fixing things. I always have,” Littlefield said. “I’m blessed to know my way around a car. It’s a way to share a skill and a talent with others.”
The car care event has developed into a Clearview community endeavor, Littlefield said, with neighbors of the church as well as owners of local businesses pitching in to help mothers who travel from around Snohomish County and the region to get the free oil changes and free haircuts.
Littlefield believes that as a Christian he has a responsibility to help widows and other mothers who are single for all sorts of reasons. But the car care day isn’t a proselytizing event, he said. In fact, in all those eight years, only a few moms they’ve helped have joined the church.
“I have a passion for helping single moms. I see what they go through and the challenges they face,” Littlefield said. “We’re just stepping in to lend a helping hand.”
Tina Knutsen, 39, of Marysville, is a single mother who works at Wal-Mart. She met the Littlefields through the friendship her son Cole has with Cody Littlefield. Randy and Tiffany Littlefield invited her to the car care event a few years ago and she’s been back several times since.
“They are really neat people who treat others equal, whether they are fancy or not. My car broke down one time and the Littlefields helped pay for it to be fixed,” she said. “The Single Mom’s Car Care event, with the haircuts and all, is just a lot of fun.”
Tiffany Littlefield said her husband developed the concern for single moms after watching her mother struggle as a single parent.
“At the end of a car care day he’s exhausted, but pleased that so many women were put first for a few hours,” she said.
It’s all worth it, Littlefield said of the volunteer event.
“Everybody knows a single mom, and if you hear some of their stories, they are pretty amazing and very touching,” he said. “Of the women we help, most are working very hard. We offer this help while making sure the moms maintain their sense of pride and dignity.”
Reporter Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427 or gfiege@heraldnet.com.
To volunteer
To volunteer with the twice-yearly Single Mom’s Car Care Event organized by Clearview Foursquare Church, located on Highway 9 south of Snohomish, call the church at 360-668-6033.
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