Who's Larry? - Larry Woody

Larry Woody is a retired blind mechanic who operated his own auto repair shop, D&D Automotive, in Cottage Grove, Oregon for 10 years. Until his vision was taken in a car accident in 2002, Larry was an avid racer and car enthusiast. His accident didn't hold him back. Larry now volunteers for Community Sharing in Cottage Grove and for other organizations in the Pacific Northwest.

Larry hopes that this website will help others to continue to move forward, despite any obstacles in the way.

Larry's Story: Teaching by Example

April 16, 2002 -

When Larry was traveling on Interstate-5 in Oregon, a tractor-trailer crossed the center median, striking Larry and his car head on. Amazingly, Larry survived the wreck, but his sight was lost forever.

Larry had broken ribs, a lower back fracture, and several lacerations to his knees and legs in the accident. But, his face and eyes were severely damaged. He underwent a 7.5 hour surgery, as doctors essentially rebuilt his face from his jawbones to his eyebrows, but they were not able to save his eyesight.

Today, Larry is now retired after running a successful auto repair shop in Cottage Grove, Oregon for 10 years. He now volunteers at Community Sharing and aims to mentor other people with disabilities to continue to pursue their dreams.

Volunteer Work

Bracken's Kitchen volunteer work

Larry recently traveled to Bracken's Kitchen in the Los Angeles area to volunteer in their kitchen. He and his wife worked there for three days, chopping onions and other produce which became delicious meals to feed the hungry.

While there he was videotaped by the CEO Bill Bracken:

Community Sharing

Larry currently volunteers with Community Sharing located in Cottage Grove:

For more than 35 years, Community Sharing Program has been extending a helping hand to people in need. Caring residents founded Community Sharing when a local lumber mill closed, forcing dozens of families into economic crisis.

Today, more than 5500 individuals rely on Community Sharing to help them meet their basic needs. Its food pantry, a member of the Oregon Food Bank system, provides eligible families with 3-5 days’ worth of food each month, including meat, produce, non-perishable items, breads, and dairy products (as available).