Joseph Savage is a man on a mission: a mission to sell his tire and chrome shine, and a mission to use their marketing to help feed the homeless.

For a fifth year, Savage could be found in front of Piggly Wiggly in Washington, selling raffle tickets to passersby. The prizes: a $100 Piggly Wiggly gift card went to first-place winner Jennifer Grissom; second-place winner Tom Profitt received a large bottle of Savage Beast, his self-made tire-shine product that can found on the shelves of Piggly Wiggly, local convenience stores and barbershops. But the ultimate prize was the delivery of Christmas hams and turkeys to Zion Shelter and Kitchen and to other families in need who’ve reached out to Savage.

This year, Savage said he raised enough money to buy 30 turkeys and 15 hams through the raffle and donations from businesses, civic organizations and individuals. A 25-year employee at First South Bank, Savage did his fundraising during lunch hours and after hours.

“It’s a lot of running around for one person, but I’m on a mission,” Savage said.

The mission started nearly 20 years ago, when Savage’s 16-year-old son was hit by a car. The family was told he wouldn’t live, according to Savage, and that’s when he made a deal with God.

“I said, ‘If you give me back my son, I’ll do whatever I can to serve you better,’” he said, adding that he started the fundraiser to feed the less fortunate to do just that. “God says that when you done it to the least of them, you done it to me.”

For Savage, giving back is his mission, but it’s also an opportunity to set an example.

“I’ve got three grandsons, and I’d like for them to see their Pop Pa doing something positive instead of something negative,” Savage said. “Our role models are very few, and our young men and our young women — they need something positive.”

As for positive, Savage is positive his Savage Beast tire cleaner and new Super Beast chrome cleaning product will bring out any vehicle’s shine.

“It is the most powerful chrome shine. It makes (chrome) so slick, a mosquito will slide off it and break its neck,” Savage laughed.

For more information about Savage Beast products, visit www.savagebeasttireshine.com or call 252-945-8971.