SAN DIEGO — There’s a knight in shining armor of sorts helping out single mothers in San Diego, but instead of a shield and sword, this hero is wielding a toolbox.

“I’m doing it because of my mother,” said Kevin Saldivar.

What is he doing? For the last four years, Saldivar, 31 , has been helping out single moms by doing small chores around the house that require a little more heavy lifting than most woman care to do. He offers this free service during the month of May, which happens to be when we celebrate Mother’s Day.

“I grew up with a single mother and three other brothers and it made me want to give back with all the skills I’ve learned. I know the struggle of how mothers don’t ask for help or don’t know what to do,” he said.

One of the mothers Saldivar helps is Kecia. She lives in Encinitas and she saw Saldivar’s ad on the online community portal Carlsbad Exchange. She decided to call based on what he wrote.

“I have 2½-year-old son and I work, take care of him, and I’m in school pursuing a master’s in speech pathology,” Kecia said. “He had mentioned in his post that he was the son of single mother and this was his way of giving back during Mother’s Day, the month of May, so it seemed appropriate and a kind gesture and ode to his mother.”

Saldivar fits in his volunteer efforts with single moms after his regular work and on weekends, booking jobs that are close together. No job is too small, he said. He said he only wishes he could do more.

“I’m a one-man army here,” Saldivar said. “I wish I could do it all, but I still have to work.”

But it’s not just the help that has mom after mom singing his praises on social media. Kecia, who is part of the Facebook group Single Moms of San Diego, said he also gave her hope in the sometimes overwhelming world of doing it all.

“As a single parent, you are also wondering if you’re giving [your child] enough — if you’re able to raise a healthy and capable individual as a single parent,” she said. “Kevin is arriving to this place in his life where he’s such a thoughtful and generous man. It showed me that I can raise my son to be the same way.”

Salidivar said he hopes his example will inspire others to join him.

“I’m thinking about doing this all year long, not just the month of May, because in reality there’s a lot of people that need help, and I enjoy that,” he said. “I hope it inspires other people to go out to the community, [their] neighbors and help out wherever they can.”

Single moms can reach Saldivar by calling him at 619-432-2533.