Rebeca Monzo is used to being on the giving end of a charity effort.

She's been on two mission trips to Mexico, in Tijuana and Vicente Guerrero on the Baja Peninsula, and tries to impact lives as a youth pastor at Delta Pentecostal Church.

And through her volunteer position as the senior girls volleyball coach with the Rick Hansen Hurricanes in Abbotsford, Monzo also mentors youth in Aldergrove, because she used to volunteer at the youth centre there for a number of years.

So when told about a movement to buy her a new car, the Langley resident who celebrated her 30th birthday on May 12 felt humbled and a bit overwhelmed.

"I was speechless," she said. "I didn't know how to react. I was shocked. I'd rather give than get."

Her busy life has Monzo putting a lot of clicks on the odometer of her aging 2002 Hyundai Accent. She has taxied youngsters from her church's youth group, as well as from her volleyball team across the Fraser Valley. However, lately, she's felt nervous about the prospect of driving the car on the highway for fear of it breaking down and stranding her and any passengers she may have.

The car is beginning to show some wear and tear. It has maintenance issues and needs a new windshield, brakes, and tires.

"When I first got the car, it was awesome," she said. "I have wheels; it was my first car."

At the time, Monzo was interning at Christian Life Assembly and really didn't need a large vehicle, and she wasn't travelling very far.

"I was actually living in the city which I was working in, so there wasn't a lot of commuting," she said, "and I wasn't giving a lot of rides to kids."

That all changed when she took on the role of youth pastor at her church in Delta.

"I'm using the car a lot to truck kids around," she said. "It's awesome; I love it, but it [the car] is really small, now, and so I need a bigger car."

"It's been a good car, it's done me well, but it's not practical for me anymore," Monzo said.

Monzo's funds are limited, making purchasing a new car on her own a challenge.

"I didn't get into this job for the money," she said. "No pastor does. We want to be good stewards of the money that is given to us by the people. For me, it's never been about money. It's always been about trying to make a difference in someone's life."

Monzo was impacted greatly by her youth pastor.

"He worked in Cloverdale, and he would drive all the way to Abbotsford to pick us up, and then drive back to Cloverdale, then drive us all the way back," Monzo said.

Seeing that kind of sacrifice motivated Monzo to give back and become a pastor.

"I know how much of a difference that made to me," she said. "If I didn't have the opportunity to go to youth, I probably wouldn't be the person I am today. Even just that small act of sacrifice that my youth pastor did for me, I now understand how big of an impact it is, so I want to do that for other people."

The goal is to get 500 people to donate $25, to the tune of $12,500 for a new - or newer - car, campaign leader Marika Siewert said.

Monzo said she's separated herself from the campaign because, she said, "If it happens, great, but if it doesn't happen, the fact that my friend [Marika] did this for me and went through all this trouble, that alone speaks a lot. It really blesses me."

To donate or get involved, visit: www.indiegogo.com/ TEAMREBECA.

tlandreville@langleyadvance.com