Sheri Mcgrath sheds a tear as she starts the car a local repair shop presented her with on Thursday morning. (CBC)

A single mother of two teenagers whose car died just before she returned to school to resume her education has been presented with an early Christmas gift: a refurbished car to replace her decade-old jalopy.

Sheri McGrath of Kelligrews, about 30 kilometres from St. John's, was handed the keys to the 2008 Pontiac G5 on Thursday morning.

This is the sixth year that Collision Clinic, a body shop in the capital, has given a vehicle to a family that can't afford one.

McGrath, who juggles school and an evening-and-weekend job while raising her daughters, said she decided to become a licensed practical nurse to make a better life for her family.

Sheri McGrath was overcome with emotion Thursday when a local car repair shop presented her with a free vehicle. (CBC)"It means so much to me, and it's going to get me where I need to be and where I want to be," she said through tears after being given the car.

Since the engine in her 1999 Saturn expired in August, McGrath has been relying on friends to drive her to class and work.

She said a friend heard about the Christmas charity at the body shop, which rebuilds and gives away a vehicle written off in an accident, and urged her to write a letter explaining why she deserved the car.

"This is not a contest," Collision Clinic owner Glenn Hickey said just before the keys were handed to McGrath. "The individual getting this car needs to demonstrate that getting this car makes a difference in escalating their life to the next level."

McGrath said having a vehicle again will make a huge difference to her ability to continue juggling school and her job.

"I don't have to worry about getting back and forth," she said. "Being a single parent is hard. I went back to school and studying is very hard. It'll take the stress away," she said, her voice trailing off as she started to cry again.

Workers at Collision Clinic gave up weekends and evenings to refurbish the car in time to present it to McGrath before Christmas.

She'll also be given free vehicle insurance for a year.