Kendrick Paint & Body is looking to assuage some anxieties about keeping one’s car in top shape.
The Kendrick Women’s Clinic is a new initiative by the downtown auto shop, aiming to show local ladies that “cars aren’t scary.” It’s comprised of a monthly series of free morning classes teaching basic auto maintenance.
“I just wanted to learn how to change my oil, because I noticed that all the men around me knew how to,” said Sarah Murrah, a payroll administrator at Kendrick, on how the clinic came about. “I asked our mechanic if he would help teach me one day after work, then we all started talking and we thought about putting together a basic car maintenance class for women.”
The first class, scheduled for next month, will in fact be on changing a vehicle’s oil, along with checking fluids, installing wipers and other maintenance basics.
Women will be teaching the class, including a mechanic from Kendrick and Crystal Roland from repair shop Automotive Highlights. Attendees will be separated into groups to watch instructors change a tire or the oil.
“It will be more of a visual for them,” said Ansley Kendrick, who’s currently training to be the shop’s fourth-generation owner and manager. “We’ll be hands-on in front of them.”
Future classes could offer lessons and tips on purchasing a car and properly cleaning a car, along with further repair and maintenance advice.
There’s even talk among staff about launching a similar class for men who want to learn more about how to tend to their cars.
“We would like everyone to have this knowledge,” Kendrick said, underscoring that the public’s reaction is motivating the shop to expand its offerings in core maintenance education. “The maintenance class has been met with good feedback, and it has gained a lot of traction. The positive responses from the community have been encouraging.”
The first Women’s Auto Clinic will be Saturday, Oct. 21, from 8 a.m. to noon, at Kendrick Paint & Body at 1424 Broad St. The class is free and open to the public.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
