Christmas came early this year to three deserving families and one nonprofit organization in Contra Costa County. The Akzo Nobel National Benevolence Program presents refurbished cars to deserving individuals or organizations during the holiday season, and Mike's Auto Body, with the help of participating parties, has presented 19 cars over the last seven years.

This will be Mike Rose's seventh year participating in the program. Everything is donated: the cars, parts, paint, mechanical inspections, tires and six months insurance. Mike's Pittsburg location is working on a 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe donated by Safeco Insurance, and Mike's in Brentwood will be repairing a 2003 Ford Windstar donated by The Mercury Insurance Group.

Kanika Guillory-Ashford is a single mother with two daughters, Kaitlin, 7, and Kalyesa, 4. Originally from Contra Costa County, she was forced to move to Oakland due to her job, but she is continuing her education at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg and hopes to graduate soon. She spends at least four to five hours a day on public transportation to get to school. The 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe she'll receive from the Benevolence Program (and which was donated by Safeco Insurance) will help her balance her life between Oakland and Pittsburg.

Stand! Against Domestic Violence, a nonprofit organization, is the lucky recipient of a 2003 Ford Windstar donated by The Mercury Insurance Group. Many women threatened by physical abuse flee their homes with their children and nothing but the clothes on their backs. One of the Stand organization's services is to transport these families away from danger as soon and safely as possible.

"We're in an industry that has the means to get these vehicles road-ready," said Rose. "It's just a matter of getting all our vendors on the same page. For the sake of the other applicants that are still in need of reliable transportation, we only hope that more auto body shops can create a similar program of their own to give back to the community."