PULASKI, Wis. — The morning after working an overnight shift, after joining his son for an early school function, with snowflakes falling and the temps in the mid-teens, Philip Kirk set to work on repairing a set of brakes.
There’s no heated garage for Kirk, who works out of the back of his truck and travels to his customers.
“I just figured, ‘Hey, I know I have the ability to help as much as I can. So it’s either I help them or I don’t. There’s no reason not to,’” Kirk said.
The vehicle Kirk worked on that day belongs to Michael Hanson and his family of four.
“You have no idea how comforting it is knowing that I can get something like brakes today. Brakes and rotors. Something that’s going to keep my family safe. That’s one less thing I have to worry about,” Hanson said. “And then, being that it’s affordable, I know I’m not dipping into Christmas funds and worrying about, ‘Can I get the kids this present?’ I can’t explain how much of a relief it is.”
Kirk shrugged off the cold and didn’t ask much in return for his services.
“He’ll ask for something super reasonable. ‘Hey, I’ll fix it for 25, 50 bucks.’ I try to give him a little more if I can,” Hanson said.
“It helps me fill up the gas tank in the vehicles and get the kids some cookies or something,” Kirk explained.
Kirk, a father of two himself, has helped Hanson with repairs before.
On Hanson’s brake job, Kirk was able to uncover a little Christmas bonus for his customer.
“The rotors are actually still real nice, so you can bring those back,” Kirk said.
Hanson said he was ecstatic.
“Awesome. Yeah that’s like $200 you just saved me,” Hanson said.
Kirk said he and his family have felt the pain of facing repair bills when their bank accounts were low.
“It just kinda became one of those things where it was either I figure out how to fix it or it doesn’t get fixed and I didn’t like plan B there,” Kirk said.
While he typically takes on jobs he’s comfortable with, Kirk is willing to try new repairs.
Kirk’s customers find him on Facebook. They buy the parts and he works within individual budgets to make sure it’s affordable.
“More people I can help out and help them save a little extra money, just kinda helps me feel good knowing that I’m helping out and using my skills that I’ve just kind of learned over the years,” Kirk said.
He isn’t a certified mechanic, but learned a lot during his time in the Marine Corps. Alhough, Kirk thought he signed up to be an infantryman.
“My recruiter closed the door on me and says, ‘Oh yeah, by the way, you’re going as an aircraft mechanic,’” Kirk explained. “I said, ‘You know I don’t even know how to change my own tire, right?’ He says, ‘Don’t worry, they’ll teach ya.’”
For many in the community, Kirk is an Everyday Hero.
“This guy will show up on the side of the road if you’re stuck somewhere and he does whatever he can,” Hanson said. “That’s really exactly what a hero is. A hero isn’t someone who helps you when you don’t need it. A hero is someone who shows up when you’re at your lowest, when you’re broke, when you can’t do it yourself, and they get it done.”
Kirk got the job done so the Hanson family can safely drive their car and even afford some extra gifts under the Christmas tree this year for their kids.