WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES OCTOBER 4, 2018 21
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Supermarket and senator help restock Glendale food pantry
Photo courtesy of State Senator Joe Addabbo
A new company in Glendale is modernizing car repair
BY JOSH TOWNER
EDITORIAL@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
Shipt will do your grocery shopping
for you. Swift o will walk
your dogs for you. Rinse will do
your laundry for you. Companies like
these simplify life, taking care of your
annoying tasks and freeing you from
stress. Car Repair Genie is taking the
next step - they’ll get your car fi xed
for you.
Car Repair Genie was started in May
2018 based on the notion that getting
cars serviced doesn’t have to be so diffi
cult. Founded by Raquel Rodriguez,
an experienced businesswoman, and
AnnGina Rufi no-Vasquez, a veteran
auto-care inspector, Car Repair Genie
takes the hassle and pain out of car
repair.
Rodriguez and Rufino-Vasquez
saw frustrations on both sides of auto
service. Customers oft en feel they’ve
been taken advantage of or treated
poorly, while mechanics generally just
want to fi x the cars and not deal with
anything else. That’s where the idea
for Car Repair Genie came from.
Genie works as an advocate for the
customers, meaning they take the
car to the service shop, help with any
insurance problems and make sure
that no one is being taken advantage of.
The founders know how important
people’s vehicles are. “Cars are very
personal. They’re like someone’s second
home,” Rodriguez said.
Both sides of the industry benefi t
from Genie. Mechanics get to fi x the car
with no nonsense or distractions. Customers
don’t have to sit around waiting
for the service being completed and
only have to pay a pre-negotiated rate.
Car Repair Genie is currently based
out of a small kiosk in Atlas Park. Customers
come and drop their car off
at the location. The car is taken to a
mechanic, serviced and brought back.
All the while, the customer has been
shopping or seeing a movie at the mall.
Genie will even come to customers
if they can’t make it to the kiosk. They
will come jump your car or help you
put the spare tire on.
Another way Genie is modernizing
the auto-service industry is by adapting
to the digital age. “Service shops
still use a lot of paper and hand shakes.
Genie is paper free,” said Rodriguez.
Someday, Genie will come pick your
car up while you’re at work so you
don’t have to take the time out of your
day to take care of it. You won’t even
notice it was gone.
That’s all for the future, however.
For the present, Car Repair Genie is
focused on servicing cars in the most
hassle-free way possible.
BY EMMA MILLER
EDITORIAL@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
Western Beef Supermarket delivered
two pallets of food to the Sacred
Heart Food Pantry in Glendale
on Oct. 1 through an arrangement
made with state Senator Joseph Addabbo.
The donation included macaroni
and cheese, juice boxes, coff ee, bread,
canned food and other items.
“I am very happy that I was able to
successfully bring these two great
entities together for the benefit of
those individuals in need,” Addabbo
said. “This donation alone will go a
long way in helping so many families
who are struggling to put food on the
table. I am grateful for the eff orts of
the Sacred Heart pantry for assisting
so many people and for Western Beef
to willingly be a credible member of
the community.”
Addabbo helped resolve a delivery issue
between Western Beef and the food
pantry. He said that he hopes to help the
partnership continue in the future.
“Western Beef has always seen itself
as part of the larger community, and
so it is our pleasure to assist the Sacred
Heart Food Pantry in its mission
to aid others in need,” said Kathy Rivera,
title compliance administrator at
Western Beef. “Aft er this initial food
donation, we look forward to working
with the food pantry and Senator Joe
Addabbo towards the possibility of
partnering in the future with the
Sacred Heart Food Pantry.”
Western Beef Supermarket is a
chain of grocery stores with locations
across New York, New Jersey and Florida.
They were founded over 30 years
ago and have two stores in Queens, in
Flushing and Jamaica.
The Sacred Heart Food Pantry is a
ministry of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic
Church in Glendale. They are open
to distribute food to those who need it
Monday through Thursday from 9:30
to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Anyone wishing to donate food can
call the offi ce of parish ministries at
718-821-3285.
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