Tim Christian was at a loss for words as he was handed the keys to a car from Desnoyers Chevrolet. Christian was a marine who served during the Vietnam Era. 

Cheryl Hage-Perez is the director of the Veterans Housing Coalition. She says Christian is very deserving of this gesture.

“It was a terrible time and humiliating time in our country, the way our veterans and military were treated, but [Christian] survived all,” Hage-Perez said.

Christian is a single father of five who always puts his family and community first. For more than a decade, he worked to collect toys for children at Christmas. 

“We’d do seven, eight, 900 kids a year, and it wasn’t just toys — it was meals on their tables,” Christian said.

"He is a very giving person, a humble person,” Hage-Perez added. 

However, this holiday season Christian is the one getting the gift.

“He’s still having a hard time recognizing this is his time to get rather than give," Hage-Perez said.

He’ll be replacing a car that’s nearly 20 years old and has more than 300,000 miles. 

“After three years of driving a 2000 Honda with leaky gas, muffler falling off ... I ain’t got to put a dime in it,” Christian smiled.

Now, the disabled veteran won’t have any trouble getting to or from doctor's appointments. 

“After all the heart conditions I’ve been through it’s even more fantastic!” Christian said.

But more importantly, he now has a reliable ride to connect with the most important part of this holiday season — family.

“It’s not going to change me; I’m still going to be me. But it’s going to change places I can go to. I have 21 grandchildren and I haven’t been able to go to a lot of places and do a lot of things with them because I couldn’t rely on the car,” Christain said. 

The donation was made possible through Travelers Insurance and Denooyer Chevrolet.