CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Chesapeake is offering free community sessions to teach residents basic car maintenance skills, with hands-on guidance.
The program launched earlier this month with the first session held at the South Norfolk Memorial Library, where community members got a firsthand look at a seven-point vehicle check system.
Angela Gaskins, is a manager with Chesapeake Public Library. She tells News 3, the goal is to help residents feel more prepared behind the wheel.
"It's better that you know how to keep your car in good shape. So that if something happens you're able to respond to it in a positive way, so it doesn't become a detriment to you or your family or your pocketbook," says Gaskins.
Leading the hands-on instruction is Jess Barr, a supervisor at Chesapeake Central Fleet. Barr shared with News 3, catching small issues early can prevent costly repairs down the road.
"Those small things develop into bigger and bigger things and if those can be identified at the beginning before they become big problems, they actually can save people money and time," says Barr.
Program leaders are working to expand the sessions to cover additional topics, including emergency skills.
"We're excited to, you know, do some other sessions like the emergency, you know, the changing the tire, um, jumping a vehicle, those basic things, and as the weather starts getting colder, people start encountering more battery problems and starting problems," said Barr.
"We're helping people economically or helping them with their safety issues so that they're feeling more complete and like the city cares about them because we are the city that cares," said Gaskins.
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