By Charlie Lapastora
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STOCKTON, California (KOVR) — As the new year approaches, one single father is entering into 2026 with new wheels after a body shop gifted him with a refurbished car.
Simply starting up the ignition was a sound that single father Jacob Muñoz and his 12-year-old son, Lexander, hadn’t heard for about a year. Without a car, they instead utilized Uber for their transportation.
Originally from Phoenix, they moved to Stockton around three to four years ago. Jacob had his own place, then lost his job. Muñoz said he was paying child support and there were issues with that while he was caring for his son.
“It just finally all caught up,” Muñoz said. “Being a full-time parent, providing for him, providing for bills, car, not having the funds to make ends meet, and it all collapsed. It brought us here so my mom can help us gain stability again.”
Muñoz said they lost his aunt. After that, he said they were forced out of the house.
“It just forced us to kind of be homeless,” Muñoz said. “And I didn’t know what to do. I know I didn’t want to turn around. I had a purpose here because of what brought me here. And I just didn’t want to make another turn around to where I’m now struggling out there, as well. I figured if I can conquer it out here, then I can pretty much navigate elsewhere.”
Muñoz was looking for help and found it with the Family Promise of San Joaquin County, which helps families facing homelessness by providing secure, stable housing through safe shelter, caring connections, and a community of support.
On Dec. 19, after Family Promise of San Joaquin County nominated Muñoz, and after Fabian Ceballos and his team did full detailing and repairs to a donated 2017 Hyundai Sonata from Liberty Mutual, they presented Muñoz with his new car.
“Having the car has been great,” Muñoz said. “Having to go to the store because for a while I was just Door Dashing food or Walmart deliveries and you just want to go off of what you want, what you feel you want at the moment, so having to place those orders through an app was kind of frustrating at times because you had to go off of, what are you going to eat for the day, the next day, and not having that free will just wanting to pick some chips or have something that comes to mind.”
Muñoz and his son are grateful and thankful for their new ride and he wants to be able to give back to help someone else’s holiday a blessing, as well.
“When we got the car, it was Friday, he spent two days and he went back to Arizona to go spend some time with his family out there while on his vacation, so he enjoyed it,” Muñoz said. “But, he’s really looking forward to come back to be mobilized around because he’s been wanting to go out fishing and stuff out in Rio Vista. So, he’s definitely looking forward for it. We enjoy it. We love it. We’re appreciative of it.”
As is Ceballos, who’s now given out 12 refurbished cars to the community. Muñoz was part of the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides program.
“We’ve been through those hard moments,” Ceballos, CEO of Fabian’s Collision Center, said. “I’ve been in those hard moments. And I always was looking for some help, which I received and I understood that, as I received help from the community, I was able also to give back to it. And that’s how I, luckily, was able to orchestrate all this activities to be able to make it happen, to give a vehicle, to give a tool, that can help member of the local community better his life.”
Ceballos said the donated car from Liberty Mutual was a stolen vehicle that was recovered and needed detailing and fixing up wear and tear, including the tires and brakes.
“It’s amazing,” Ceballos said. “Every single gifting that we have done throughout the years has always been a different kind of difficulty from the recipient. But, it’s always a humbling experience. Always a humbling experience. When we think that we have problems, we need to be humble about it because somebody can in be a more difficult situation than us. And that’s how I think that that should be the purpose of everybody in the community. To give whatever you can.”
Ceballos told CBS Sacramento he helped gift a car to someone who couldn’t afford repairs to pass the smog check, along with someone else who lost everything, including their car, to the Paradise Fire.
NABC Recycled Rides is a program in which businesses representing all facets of the collision repair industry team up to repair and donate vehicles to individuals and families in need of reliable transportation. Since the inception of the NABC Recycled Rides program in 2007, members of the National Auto Body Council® have donated more than 3,500 vehicles valued at some $51 million.
“The only thing that I could rely on is God when no one was there,” Muñoz said. “But, also, two, you got to find something that you’re passionate about.”
Muñoz said that could be the gym, juicing, eating, “it can be a list of things.” Muñoz found it in residential painting with his keen eye for detail and wants to help other tradesmen learn the craft and be able to give back, along with helping re-paint Stockton, giving residents some vibrancy in color throughout their homes through this rough time.
For Muñoz, not having a car was something he just got used to; he adjusted to make ends meet, remaining positive amidst it all.
“It’s been great,” Muñoz said. “I mean, nothing’s really changed, just being able to get to point A, point B, but the faith is still there, the mind is still there, to keep pushing is still there, the drive is still there, it’s just now, I got some wheels. So, it’s made it easier to job-to-job, but being in my position and God representing me the way that He does, and I’ve had those workers also help me and come and get from point A to point B to the jobs, as well, because they understand my situation. They know I’m a good father and stuff, and I’m providing, so yeah, it’s definitely all paid out. So, overall, it’s a blessing to now have a car and be appreciative.”
The drive he’s had now carries into driving his son around. On the day he was gifted the car, he picked up his son from school in the new ride, with the trunk filled with Christmas gifts donated by the community. Lexander’s favorite gift? Jacob said the Chipotle gift card because his son likes to eat.
Ceballos encourages anyone who may need help with a new vehicle to come to his shop, and he can steer you in the right direction.
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