Zaira endured a painful and abusive childhood before she immigrated to the United States in 1995. Forced to continue living with a neglectful and demeaning parent, she was left feeling discouraged, unsupported and completely alone. She had nearly lost hope by the time she was placed in the foster care system.

It was at this point that Zaira’s life drastically changed for the better. She made her way through grade school, graduated high school, and is now in college, working towards becoming a Registered Nurse.

“I was on my journey to become someone”, she says. ”So far, I am doing excellent….For the past years, I have had many obstacles, but I have never given up and I never will.”

Zaira didn’t just believe in herself, she put in the work, and it has paid off in a big way. One obstacle that Zaira couldn’t overcome alone though was her lack of transportation.  She saved money and bought herself a car, but the cost of continually having to pay for repairs quickly became too cumbersome, and the car eventually ceased to work.

Cars 4 Causes® was happy to help. We provided Zaira with a 2003 Toyota Corolla. It’s our hope that, with the help of her new car, she will be able to continue to thrive in school and in life, and continue to meet her goals and fulfill her dreams.

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So after a bit of searching through our database of supported charities, we happened upon Project Linus, a charity that gives new, handmade blankets and afghans made by volunteers to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need.

It was a perfect match. The staff at Cars 4 Causes ® is a creative bunch with a serious knack for arts and crafts. We ended up making six blankets for Project Linus, all of which were not only warm and functional but absolutely adorable.

As The Charity That Gives To Charities®, Cars 4 Causes ® has always embraced the concept of helping others as one of our core values. But it’s not just a job; it’s a way of life.  And we’re not just employees, we’re community members.

Whether you volunteer, give financial support or donate your car, you truly can make a positive impact on the lives of those in need. In the spirit of giving, especially in light of recent events, Cars 4 Causes ® encourages everyone to do what they can to make a difference, and help others in their times of hardship.

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He worked hard to raise the funds to purchase a 1941 Studebaker Champion Coupe, which he intended to fix up as a project car. On Wednesday evening, January 6^th 2010, according to witnesses, it was stolen right out of the driveway!

Barry posted an ad on Craigslist, http://ventura.craigslist.org/cto/1544223163.html, offering a $1000 reward to the person who leads to the recovery of the car.

“Help me find this Car !… This is a Lousy feeling… Imagine if you had worked very hard for something for a Long time, and some low life takes it away from you !… I feel like my child has been kidnapped…”

While Cars 4 Causes®is a national charity, we never forget our roots or our neighbors. We’re helping to spread the word about Barry’s car, and hoping that everyone’s efforts will get it returned to its rightful owner. We’re asking that everyone in the Ventura County area keep an eye out for Barry’s car, and contact Barry at 805-218-3658 if you see the car or have any information that could lead to its recovery. It’s a very unique car, and there are currently no cars like it in Ventura County, so if you see it, don’t hesitate to call.

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Since its inception in 1998, the Cars 4 Causes Clean Air Program® has allowed donors to make a positive impact on the health of our environment through generous car donations of their older, less fuel efficient vehicles while simultaneously generating a much needed financial benefit for thousands of charitable organizations throughout the United States.

We’ve gathered some current statistics to give you a better idea of what the Cars 4 Causes Clean Air Program® is doing, and what you can do to help.

• According to the Carbon Fund Organization, unleaded gasoline has 19.56 lbs CO2/gallon.

• According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average U.S. car usage is 12,000 miles per year.

• While the Environmental Protection Agency’s reports, states that the overall average fuel economy for passenger vehicles of 20.3 mpg. We feel the recent Cash for Clunkers program is more representative of the type of car that we send to our Clean Air Program®. Therefore, according to http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2009/dot13309.htm, the average mpg of a Cash for Clunkers trade-in was 15.8 mpg.

• According to http://www.carbonfootprint.com/plantingtrees.html, an average tree offsets 1 ton of CO2 in its lifetime (100 years)

Based on these assumptions, the average donated car emits nearly 15,000 lbs, (or 7.5 tons) of CO2 every year.  In 2009 alone, Cars 4 Causes®received a total of 3,110 car donations that were sent to its Clean Air Program®, and we’ve recycled a total of 36,692 cars since the Clean Air Program® ‘s inception.

That means we’ve kept over 46 million lbs (23,000 tons) of CO2 from entering the atmosphere in 2009. Since we started, the Cars 4 Causes Clean Air Program® has kept over 545 million lbs of CO2 per year from entering the atmosphere!

These numbers are staggeringly large, but to put it into perspective, it would take almost 272,000 trees 100 years to offset that amount of carbon!

While you may not be able to plant eight trees every year to offset your carbon footprint, you can certainly donate your car to Cars 4 Causes, and put an end to those emissions for good.

Cars 4 Causes®has always made an effort to improve the health of the environment. We recognize the need for a simple, cost effective way to reduce CO2 emissions, and we are thankful for the awareness that the recent conference has brought to this issue.  We hope that more people will realize the need to reduce these harmful emissions and chose to donate their cars to Cars 4 Causes Clean Air Program® as an easy, proven solution to this global problem.

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1. Donate a Car Now for Your 2009 Tax Deduction
2. Car Donations Routed through Many Charity Channels
3. Why Donate a Car? Our Top 13,405 Reasons

The year 2009 has been a wild year for car donations and for the auto industry in general. Much of the news swirled around the federal government’s Cash for Clunkers program. The program itself was quite controversial politically and amongst economics scholars. But for the car donation arena, the program’s impact has been decidedly negative.

We’ve seen that many of the used cars that went into the Cash for Clunkers program might have been destined for charity; they were rerouted instead into the scrap and salvage markets, thus both reducing donations to charities and, also, their flooding of the recycle auction markets reduced revenues charities could get from recycling old cars donated to them. We’ll be talking more about this next year.

HR571 – Legislation with Big Potential for Car Donors and Charities

As one of the foremost leaders in the car donation arena, Cars 4 Causes® is always on top of auto industry, auto recycling, and philanthropy trends. For example, one of the little-discussed news items of the year was HR 571, a legislation introduced in January and referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means (where it has languished all the long year). This bill could undo some of the damage done by the limitations on deductions for charitable car donations imposed by Congress in 2004. HR 571 would allow donors to deduct the fair market value of car donations up to $2500, and the appraised value on donations over $2500. This would help charities; higher value car donations have dropped since limitations were imposed, and charities have been on the losing end.

Cars 4 Causes® is following this legislation on behalf of car donors and – even more – on behalf of the charities that depend on vehicle donations to fund their causes. We’ll keep you updated.

But now, at this time of year, we know most of us are focused on the hustle-bustle of the moment. We’re receiving a rush of year-end vehicle donations, with donors concerned about meeting 2009 tax write-off deadlines. And that’s where our focus is, too.

Call us at 800-766-2273 or chat with us online if you have any questions about your donation. We’re here to help. And we thank you for your generous donations; so many of your charities depend on them.

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Regardless of how much we can tell you on a website, though, we know that often you’ll feel better informed if you can talk to someone who knows the vehicle donation process and who can guide you through it.

We have a knowledgeable staff on hand for just that purpose. You can call them at 800-766-2273 with your questions.  You can also initiate the process via our website, and then we’ll have someone call you to complete the process.

Overview of the Car Donation Process

Step One:  Submit a Vehicle Donation Form
Submit a vehicle donation form via our Website or contact us at 800-766-CARE (2273). At this point, you provide general information on the vehicle you wish to donate and select the charity organization you wish to benefit. (We accept most intact vehicles, whether they are running or not. No smog certificate is required.)

Step Two: Schedule a no-cost to the donor pick-up
Once you donate your car and it is accepted, one of our tow companies will pick up the vehicle at no cost to you (the donor), or you may drop off the vehicle at one of our car donation center lot locations.

Step Three: Cars 4 Causes® Sells your donated vehicle
The donated vehicle will be sold once we have a clear transferable title. A written acknowledgment will then be sent to you (the donor) for your contribution. You’ll keep this paperwork for your taxes. You’ll find more information on tax write-offs on our FAQ page.

Your Donation Makes a Difference

Whether your car donation is an old clunker or a newer vehicle, a boat, RV or other vehicle, donating it to charity helps those in need. So, please browse our website and get to know us, see our FAQs for answers to common questions, and call us at 800-766-2273.  We’re here to answer your questions.

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We’ve heard all these reasons and more during our many years here at Cars 4 Causes®, and they all make sense to us. Take a look at our list of reasons for making a car donation, and let us know if we missed any on your top list.

Our 13,405 Best Reasons to Donate a Car

1. Make the neighbors happy. If you own a car that’s just rusting away in your driveway or perennially parked in front of your house, you know your neighbors would love you to get rid of it. Make them happy; donate your car to charity and have it towed away.
2. Declutter. Get rid of the extra car that’s been taking up space in your garage. If you’re not using it, it’s time for that car to move on to its next driver. You get rid of a car you’re not using, and your charity benefits from your donation.
3. Save on annual car registration fees. If you’re not using a vehicle, why pay the annual registration, smog certification and insurance on it? Tally up all you can save by donating the vehicle to charity, and then choose the charity that benefits.
4. Simplify. An extra car in your life means one more major item to take care of. And if you’re at all interested in simplifying your life, what a difference getting rid of 2,000 pounds of steel can make!
5. Get a car donation tax deduction. We’ve written a bit about the opportunities for great tax write-offs this year. If you missed it, check out our blog, Cars 4 Causes Adds it Up: Two Automobile Tax Deductions this Year!
6. through 13,400.  Charities benefit from your car donation. We see this effect every day in our work at Cars 4 Causes®, and it is heart-warming. Our current list of charities includes over 13,400 organizations, and the list is always growing.

As we see it, that adds up to 13,400 deeply satisfying reasons to donate a vehicle.

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We have been amazed by the many charities that serve people and causes around the world and proud to be partnered with so many of them. There are many that provide help to schools and fill other educational needs. You’ll find several on our webpage listing of charities.  We think they’re all terrific, and here are a few examples:

Donating Cars to Education

The Youth Science Center helps kids explore and learn to love science and math, with exhibits, interactive learning programs, and hands-on learning experiences. The Center offers math, science and technology classes for students grades K-8, all with the goal of improving math and science education.

What’s In Your Lunch Box is a collaboration of doctors, professionals, interns and students who provide support to families living with autism. The organization hosts interactive education and training workshops on diet and nutrition, adaptive physical exercise and advocacy, all designed to help families manage and overcome the unique challenges and barriers of feeding children on the Autism Spectrum.

Harley School is a Rochester, New York, independent private school for children from the nursery through Grade 12. Harley School focuses on nurturing the unique strengths of each student, while striving to foster a love of learning, creative imagination and a desire for intellectual achievement.

These are three very different charities with one thing in common that touches every parent’s heart: they all exist to help our children. So do the many other educational institutions and organizations listed in our list of charities. Take a look, and see the many ways a car donation can make a difference in a child’s life.

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We think car donations can play a big role and a multi-dimensional one in helping to clean up the planet.

When a car donor calls Cars 4 Causes® wanting to donate an old car that’s spewing and sputtering fumes into the air – one that cannot pass a smog test, one that is a high polluter – then a whole chain of events is set in motion. We pick up the car, which gets it off the road; we feel good about that because we’ve removed a source of pollution.

The car donor chooses a charity to benefit from the donation. And maybe she chooses one of the many environmental organizations on our supported charities list. Maybe not. There are many ways to help the environment, and some of these are by bringing relief to people threatened by climate-related disasters such as famine, flooding, and drought.

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse

We scrap and recycle the old donated car. Some of its parts get salvaged and reused. The bulk of it gets recycled, turning up later in faucets, doorknobs, refrigerators, washing machines, bicycles, and of course, in new (more environmentally friendly) vehicles. The process of recycling a vehicle is another link in the chain that does its part in reducing the human impact on our environment.

Charities Doing Their Part to Clean Up the Environment

Most of the car donations (and other vehicle donations too) that come to Cars 4 Causes® are still viable transportation. But we realized early in our life as “The Charity That Gives To Charities(R)” that part of our work would be dealing with cars that were simply not roadworthy. We set up our Clean Air Program® to take care of this segment of car donations.

We’ve recycled thousands of cars off the roads over the years, and as we ponder this day when bloggers throughout the world are thinking about climate change and humanity’s role in it, we know our efforts are just a small piece of a larger global consciousness. We’re delighted that so many people around the world are pondering our planet along with us today.

Our small, individual efforts add up; together, we can make a huge difference.

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Some of the organizations are well known, such as the American Red Cross and the United Way of Ventura County and of Los Angeles. You’ll also find Doctors Without Borders on our list of approved charities. (See our Supported Charities page for links to these and others.)

A car donation here can help people in India

Some of the other international charity organizations are less well-known. For example, you may not have heard of the India Rural Development Fund, a California–based organization that works in partnership with other like-minded non-profits to enhance the lives of underprivileged people living in rural India. You can donate a car to Cars 4 Causes® and designate the donation to benefit this rural Indian fund.

Your car donation can help build micro-business in Africa

Or, you might want to point your vehicle donation toward Africa. Another organization, the Bridge for Africa, promotes self-sufficiency and the dignity of work in rural Africa. This organization partners with African artisans to design, create and market handmade items. Proceeds from the sales of these goods go towards community development, job creation, training, and toward paying the artisans living wages.

Car donations can help children in need around the world

Another organization, the Firelight Foundation, supports and advocates for the needs and rights of children in Sub-Saharan Africa who are orphaned or affected by HIV. The foundation does this by increasing resources to grassroots care organizations in the communities.

It’s amazing to us to think that the simple act of donating a car here in America can profoundly affect the lives of struggling people on the other side of the globe, but it can. We’re humbled to know that we can be part of making this happen.

Cars 4 Causes® carries the tagline, The Charity That Gives To Charities ® because it describes so well what we do. We have more than 13,400 charities for you to choose from when you donate your vehicle to Cars 4 Causes®. (If you don’t see the charity you want to support with your car donation, call us; we’re only able to fit a partial list on our website, and we are always happy to consider new charities.)

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When you donate, you determine what charity benefits from your vehicle donation, and we make sure we make the most of the donation for both you and your charity. (See our list of over 13,400 charities.) Some cars not designated with a charity enter our Give-Away Program that directly benefits needy individuals.

Choosing the Best Route for Your Car Donation

We have our own sales locations where we evaluate the car to determine its route.

• When it is cost-effective, we make major or minor mechanical repairs, and then we detail the cars and advertise them for sale. The cars, vans, trucks and other vehicles are sold, and then they move on to their new owners.
• Some cars go to auction, as this is the best route for them, for the best return.
• If the cars are not road-worthy, we recycle them through salvage and scrap channels. The scrap is recycled, turning up next in a surprisingly wide array of products – your new bicycles, your new appliances, new cars.

Your Tax Deduction

At the completion of any of these sales processes, you receive a tax deduction receipt for the donation. And, because of these evaluation and sales processes, Cars 4 Causes® The Charity That Gives To Charities® receives the highest average return for you in the industry! You benefit from this success in your tax write-off, and your charity benefits with a corresponding donation.

So, whether it’s old Betsy or that slightly used car in the garage, your donation is honored and appreciated all along the donation route.  Thank you for your generosity.

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This year, President Obama’s I Remember. I Serve. 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance was created “to reignite the spirit of unity and service that inspired Americans in the days after the September 11, 2001 tragedy.” As individuals, we’re inspired to help through our non-profit organizations and community service.

Over the last eight years, too, many organizations have stepped up their efforts to help those who help keep us safe — our military men and women and their families. We’re happy to say that some of these are Cars 4 Causes® Charity Partners. (They’ve designated Cars 4 Causes®, a 501(c) (3) organization, as their vehicle donation facility, and people wanting to donate their vehicles can choose these charities when they donate to Cars 4 Causes®.)

We can’t name all of the organizations here, but we urge you to check our List of Approved Charities to see if you find your favorite non-profit there. Here are just a few of those serving Military and Veterans – We list them today, with our thanks:

Operation Homefront – A national organization offering emergency assistance, support, education and morale-boosting programs for deployed military and their family members, and returning wounded warriors.

Project Hollywood Cares – A Hollywood-based organization that gives copies of current movies and products of the entertainment industry to support and boost the morale of America’s military personnel for their dedicated service and sacrifice.

American Legion – With a membership of nearly 3 million, the American Legion is the preeminent community service organization for war-time veterans, with nearly 15,000 American Legion posts worldwide, and a host of programs for veterans and their loved ones

Operation Gratitude. Based in Encino, Calif., Operation Gratitude sends individually addressed care packages to lift the morale of American service members deployed in hostile and difficult conditions throughout the world.

We’re grateful to these organizations for the work they do in support of our troops, their families, and of all of the people serving in our armed forces. In their responding to tragedy with courage and compassion, we see the best of our American spirit — our heart, our strength.

Thank you, one and all.

– Pat Jessup, president, Cars 4 Causes®, The Charity That Gives to Charities®

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Not using your summer vehicles? Donate RVs, boats, trailers and other recreational vehicles to charity.

If you’re at that point, then this year, as you put away your summer toys – the motorhome, trailer, fifth wheel, toy hauler, tent trailer or RV of any kind – consider the cost of winter storage. And consider donating your RV to charity.

You’ll be eligible for a vehicle donation tax deduction. And you’ll be generously helping the charity of your choice.

Many people do not realize that they can donate lots of kinds of vehicles – not just cars and trucks.

At Cars 4 Causes®, we accept donations of many varieties of recreational vehicles, from motorcycles to off-road vehicles to motorhomes and trailers. Call us if you think it’s time to talk about donating your summer vehicle – from kayaks to RVs.

And see our FAQ video, too, for lots of examples of charity donations.

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The program is quite straightforward: Charities designate Cars 4 Causes® as their vehicle donation charity through our Cars 4 Causes® Charity Partners Program. Then, our donation team works with them, taking care of their vehicle donations.

Connecticut and Virginia

A Cars 4 Causes(R) Charity Partner, Everybody WINS Connecticut

One of the recent additions to Cars 4 Causes® Charity Partners is Connecticut-based Everybody WINS Connecticut – a reading tutor and leadership program for youngsters. One of the creative things this charity does is pair middle school children with younger ones, to serve as ‘reading role models’.

In Lorton, Virginia, the Methuselah Foundation is dedicated to extending healthy human life, working for strategies that promote long-term health and to finding cures to age-related diseases.

From Georgia to California

In Atlanta, Georgia, our Charity Partner, the Ahimsa House, helps victims of

Ahimsa House, in Atlanta, Georgia, is a Cars 4 Causes (R) Charity Partner

domestic violence by providing care for their pets ; in Austin, Texas, My Healing Place helps people through grief and loss; and the Reno, Nevada-based Koinonia Family Services helps find foster and adoptive homes for children. In Los Angeles, Calif., A New Way of Life Reentry Project provides reentry support and sober living housing to previously incarcerated women and their children.

Coast to coast and beyond, charities are benefiting from donations to Cars 4 Causes®, the Charity that Gives to Charities®.We encourage you to visit our list of over 13,400 charities that benefit from donations to Cars 4 Causes®. We think you’ll be as amazed at the variety of helpful philanthropies as we are.

And come back frequently. More charities are joining the list every week.

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They were brought to our attention by Echoes of Hope, an organization that helps emancipated foster youth. The charity appealed to us through the Cars 4 Causes® Car Give-Away Program. They were seeking help for two of the youth in their program who had been accepted into college but had no way of getting there.

Here are the students’ stories and why we were thrilled to be able to help:

Truck donation helps Sealy, a straight-A student, go to UCLA

Shealy was a straight-A student in high school (4.06 grade average!). She was in the foster care system for years, but instead of letting the hardships of her life defeat her, she became a track athlete and a model student. She was accepted into the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). But to go to school, she needed reliable transportation. The logistical reality was that without a car, she could not attend.

The kind donation of a pickup truck made the difference for her; she’s now on her way to classes at UCLA.

Car donation helps Darryl, a straight-A student, attend CSULA. Darryl stands beside his car, with his friend who drove him up to pick up the donated vehicle.

Darryl was also a straight-A high school student. His life up to now has also been hard. He was 7 years old when he entered foster care. He describes his early years as “random disorganized disaster.” Darryl made it through a sad and often terrifying youth, and now he is majoring in Sociology at California State University, Los Angeles. He wants to make a difference in the lives of others.

He’s on his way to classes in a donated car, a car that he’ll remember for life as the car that made a difference for him.

The Cars 4 Causes® story began with the desire to help fund the education of young people, and we’re especially happy to share this back-to-school story. It reminds us of what an impact a charitable donation can have on the lives it touches.

To see the variety of ways your vehicle donation can help, check out the Cars 4 Causes® list of approved charities - over 13,400 charities at last count, from international organizations to regional branches, to local community charities.

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We also have the Cars 4 Causes® Charity Partners Program. (Within this program, non-profit organizations designate Cars 4 Causes® as their car donation charity, and our experienced team then works directly with them to take care of their vehicle donations.)

We thought you’d like to hear about a few of our newest Charity Partners that focus their efforts on animals.

Ace of Hearts is a dog rescue foundation.

Ace of Hearts. This is a dog rescue foundation for animals in need. Its members rescue dogs from shelters, saving them from potentially being euthanized. Ace of Hearts is devoted to reducing pet over-population and finding these dogs happy, healthy homes.

Friends of Animals finds homes for abused cats and dogs

Friends of Animals Foundation. This charity rehabilitates and finds homes for abused, neglected and abandoned cats and dogs. They run a no-kill shelter that takes animals in, some in devastating conditions. The Friends of Animals Foundation is committed to finding responsible and loving adoptive families that will give these animals a second chance at a good life.

New England Equine Rescues. This organization is a network of volunteers who love horses. The New England Equine Rescues group facilitates the humane treatment and placement of horses, mainly focusing on crisis intervention.

See our list of charities on our Website – You’ll find many, many animal rescue organizations you can designate when you donate a car through Cars 4 Causes®. We’d love to list them all here; they range from the Bat World Sanctuary in Texas to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee to the Maui Humane Society.

Your car donations span geography and charity to help those in need.

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Elings Park. A private, non-profit park in Santa Barbara County, supported entirely by donations and user fees, Elings Park provides a variety of sports and recreational activities for youth and families.

Feline Network of Central Coast. Volunteers at the Feline Network of the Central Coast work to rescue, and find foster homes for, abandoned domestic cats in San Luis Obispo County. The group’s Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program helps to humanely reduce the feral cat population.

Freedom is Not Free. This organization provides support and assistance to wounded soldiers, their families and the families of fatally wounded soldiers. Its programs range from individual assistance to soldiers for rehabilitation and necessities, to supporting other organizations with complementary goals, to refurbishing facilities that serve the wounded soldiers and their families.

Operation Homefront. Operation Homefront offers emergency assistance, support, education and morale-boosting programs for deployed military and their family members, and returning wounded warriors. The goal is to make a difference in the quality of life for military families affected by deployment.

Pacific Pride Foundation. The Pacific Pride Foundation provides support services and advocacy to the HIV/AIDS and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities of Santa Barbara County. The group provides a food pantry, community resources and education, as well as comprehensive health services, counseling and care.

Youth Education and Youth Programs. Cars 4 Causes partners with many education and youth programs. The latest to join for increased car donations are: the Boys & Girls Club of Conejo/Las Virgenes, Chaparral High School in Ojai, Calif., and Girls Inc. of San Diego.

The Cars 4 Causes list of charities includes thousands of qualifying organizations, and we are adding more almost every day. If you don’t see your favorite charity on our website, please contact us. We have many, many more charities and we’re happy to review new ones, too.

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The happy artist: Laron Wallace stands with John Huffman, president of Echoes of Hope, who appealed to Cars 4 Causes® for a car donation.

The charity wrote to us on behalf of a young artist, Laron Wallace. The young man was “in dire need of reliable transportation,” wrote John Huffman, president of Echoes of Hope. He went on to tell us a bit about Laron.

What Convinced Us to Help

It turns out that this amazing young person has overcome tremendous obstacles in his life. After his abandonment by his father and the death of his mother, Laron spent his childhood and adolescence in the foster care system.

His was not an idyllic childhood, not by any stretch of the imagination. Despite these early years, though, Laron has grown up to be a well-rounded, hard-working student.

He works and attends college, and he has very realistic dreams of a future in art.

Drawn by Laron Wallace, this picture captures his appreciation for his donated car. Look closely and you’ll find a few keywords in the art, like Toyota Corolla, Cars 4 Causes, and his “thank you”, too.

Recently, his car froze up, and the cost of repairs equaled more than the car’s value – and much more than Laron had in his wallet, too!

Echoes of Hope appealed to Cars 4 Causes®, the Charity that Gives to Charities®, and we were able to help. We found a 2002 Toyota Corolla for Laron.

A Future Filled With Art

So, this young artist is continuing his studies, supporting himself with his work, and getting to and from it all in his car, a car that came to us from a generous car donor.

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What can a parent to do to help? We’ve identified a few ways:

• Volunteer for your child’s classroom
• Volunteer for your school PTA
• Donate money to your child’s school

• And we’re adding another: Donate a car to your California school of choice.

Donating Cars to Schools of Your Choice

We’ve set up a Save Our Schools section of Cars 4 Causes, a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization, to make it easy for you to donate a car and dedicate the proceeds to the California school of your choice. You’ll receive the same tax benefits as with any car donation, and you’ll be helping your child’s school.

Why We Care

The problem with cutting the arts and physical education programs, as we see it, is

Children learn teamwork and discover new horizons in their arts programs.

that these programs enrich the lives of our children. Gym classes teach team skills (a great predictor of success in corporate life!), and art and music programs broaden our children’s views of life’s possibilities. Who knows what talents our kids will discover within themselves, given the opportunity?

We care about kids and education; in fact, our concerns about education were the reason we originally launched Cars 4 Causes. Now, Cars 4 Causes is the most highly respected  car donation program in the nation, and we think we can lend a hand to help our schools through tough times.

Check out our Save Our Schools section on the Cars 4 Causes Website. Our kids need our help.

Related posts:

1. Education Gets a Helping Hand from Car Donations

1st through 3rd grade winners of Cars 4 Causes Kids Art Contest

Notice one thing they all have in common? We think there’s something there, and we’re calling it: helping in any way you can. First-grader Maria helps by giving toys and food to others and by visiting friends in the hospital. Third-grader Ketsie helped with a car wash; that was her favorite.

Each poster tells a story, and we’ll let you enjoy ‘reading’ the children’s stories and messages in their art. They’re all here.

4th and 5th grade winners of Cars 4 Causes Kids Art Contest

At Cars 4 Causes, we rediscover every day that charity and the desire to help others is an all-embracing human quality. We see it in the children’s art, and we see it in adults who donate cars to charity.

While it’s true that we adults get a tax deduction with our car donation, we also help the charity of our choice, and that’s the real driving force behind the desire to donate a vehicle – helping others. I guess we know that; the kids just remind us when we give them a chance.

The Prizes

Each of the children who won at their grade level received an art kit; their school received $1,000; and that student’s class was able to designate $1,000 to any non-profit organization of their choice. [You can see more on eligibility and participation in the Annual Cars 4 Causes Kids Art Contest in our May blog.]

Related posts:

1. Education Gets a Helping Hand from Car Donations