The Cars 4 Causes Blog.

Cars 4 Causes® sometimes receives requests from charitable organizations for car donations for individuals in need. One recent one that we were able to match with a car through the Cars 4 Causes Car Give-Away Program, was sent by the Los Angeles-based charity, Echoes of Hope.

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. Learn how to donate car today!

When the economy went into a dive last year, Brenda’s family finances hit the skids, too. She’s a feisty woman and not easily defeated. She had struggled through emotional and financial crises when serious childhood illnesses threatened both her daughter and younger son. And all survived.

Car donation recipient Brenda with Sister Mary

She lost her husband to cancer last year, though, and even while mourning her loss, still needed to get herself to the University of California Medical Center in Los Angeles for treatments for her own serious medical condition – a 60-plus-mile drive. Still, she was “OK,” she said. She was managing, even as the downturn in the economy slashed the value of her late husbands’ life insurance benefits.

Then the car began to give out.

In poor condition, it couldn’t be counted on to get her to UCLA. And, frankly, it wasn’t reliable in and around town either.

Abbess Victoria of the St. Barbara Monastery in Santa Paula, Calif. asked Cars 4 Causes if we could help. We could, and we did. That’s Brenda in the photo with Sister Mary of the St. Barbara Monastery.

Their smiles are genuine. The car was donated to Brenda and her family. Make a car donation today! Your donation will support people who need your help.

Jevon is a young man who has already met and overcome major obstacles and challenges. He spent his youth on the tough inner-city streets of South Los Angeles and worked his way through middle and high school. He survived the foster care system, and is the first member of his family to attend college.

Jevon became involved as a youth participant with Echoes of Hope and their partner Bresee Foundation; both organizations target at-risk youth in the Los Angeles area. Through their programs, young people are given access to the tools and experiences necessary to succeed. These programs focus on helping young people plan their career paths and set realistic goals that will move them closer and prepare them for those careers while developing a work ethic and leadership abilities that will serve them throughout their lives.

Echoes of Hope contacted us about this amazing young man who has just completed his first year at Cal State University Channel Islands where he received honors as “Outstanding First Year Student Leader”, and was awarded the “Triumph Award”.

With the help of Echoes of Hope, Bresee Foundation and Cars 4 Causes®, Jevon is now poised to drive forward into his future in a 1996 Honda Accord! We are thrilled to be able to help him on his way and wish him great success! Learn how to donate car today!

Cars 4 Causes® Car Give-Away Program has made a huge difference in Linda’s family life.  Linda is caring for her six grandchildren and needed a way to transport all of them together.

The request for help came from Kaiser Permanente explaining that taking over the care of these children was a surprise and Linda didn’t have much time to prepare or make arrangements. She simply knew that her grandchildren needed her, so she accepted the task.

Cars 4 Causes® responded to this need with a 1998 Dodge Caravan which can accommodate everyone.

Linda picked up the mini van at Cars 4 Causes® on Tuesday accompanied by some of her grandchildren, who were happy and excited about the new car. Executive Director Pat Jessup revealed that she had a previous recipient lined up for the van, but it wasn’t the right match to meet her needs, “I got the call about Linda right after hanging up the phone with the other person, and thought, this van must be for her.”

We are so pleased to have been instrumental in making a difference to Linda and her family with this car donation.