to give her age, said she has always been active in community organizations. But she began volunteering more of her time after she retired several years ago, particularly when Perth Amboy hosted families who were displaced from their homes when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005.

She was one of the first volunteers to sign up, Rosco said, and for weeks she manned the phone banks tirelessly.

When the Katrina-related work dwindled, Carmon didn't go anywhere, Rosco said. That was when she started providing her taxi service.

"I can't help myself," Carmon said of her urge to volunteer her time. "I do these things for people, and I can't even tell you why. I just have to."

Carmon also volunteers in the city clerk's office, answering the phones and assisting withother office work. That's where she was yesterday afternoon, when Rosco tricked her into coming with him to the church for her surprise gift.

Carmon was told she would be meeting with a reporter who wanted to write about the soup kitchen. Instead, she was greeted by O'Buck and a handful of friends who clapped when she climbed into her new car.

Carmon admitted yesterday that she would miss her DeVille, which was a gift from her late husband. But the car was becoming so unreliable that it sometimes left her stranded and needing a ride herself.

"So many things have been happening with it, I knew I couldn't afford to keep it running," she said.

The gunmetal-blue car has already been inspected, O'Buck told Carmon. It has new tires and freshly-changed