Give the Gift of a Car this Holiday Season
December 9, 2021
Give the Gift of Freedom
Freedom is something easily taken for granted if you’re not conscious of it. It’s easy to forget that commuting to work or running weekend errands is a freedom. Not everyone has reliable transportation or means to be able to fulfill their basic needs or take care of their family. What if you could give the gift of freedom? You could change someone’s life by donating your used car and allowing them the freedoms you experience.
Benefits of a Car Donation
Help those in need.
When you donate to Vehicles for Change, your car has an opportunity to go to a deserving family in need. Numerous studies have revealed that a lack of reliable transportation is one of the leading causes of unemployment. Without a vehicle, individuals are limited in their job search, receive fewer promotions and raises due to frequent tardiness from unreliable public transportation, and cannot take extra shifts. Additionally, children in low-income families without a vehicle are less likely to participate in after-school and extracurricular activities, significantly limiting their socialization and creativity. Your donated vehicle directly influences a families ability to secure and maintain a job while allowing their children to participate in their educational and social activities.
Impact your community.
The Drive says donations that go toward real help and change are positive for your community. At Vehicles for Change, we have two programs, Freedom Wheels and Full Circle Service Center, that allow us to maximize your donation and best support the community. When you donate your vehicle to Vehicles for Change, you aren’t only helping car recipients. You’re also helping formerly incarcerated individuals reenter society through job and skill training. Your donated vehicle is serviced and prepared for a deserving family by members of your community, so you’re not only donating a vehicle to someone in need but providing jobs to aspiring mechanics.
Improve your well-being.
According to researchers at Stony Brook University, your brain releases chemicals that give you a sense of peace and joy when doing something good for someone else, like donating. Studies even suggest that it helps lengthen your life. That makes the old adage true — it really is better to give than receive.
Inspire others.
One of the best lessons a parent can teach their child is to be kind and generous. Your donation can create a ripple effect and demonstrate charitable behavior to your children.
Receive maximum tax benefits.
In 2004, tax regulations for donated cars changed, Investopedia indicates. Vehicles for Change offers a greater tax advantage than most vehicle donation programs in the country. Because our top priority is providing cars to a family before sending cars to auction, the IRS regulations allow many Vehicles for Change car donors to claim the full fair market value of their car, if awarded to a family, the maximum permitted by law. Learn more about maximizing your tax deduction with Vehicles for Change and how to file your deduction with these Turbo Tax steps.
VFC’s Holiday Giving Success Stories
Donated vehicles always bring smiles and opportunities to Vehicles for Change car recipients, but there’s something extra special about receiving them during the holiday season. Maybe it’s the magic in the community of people coming together and helping those in need. Meet two car recipients whose lives were changed during the holiday season because of generous community members who donated their vehicles to someone in need.
Frankie, the father of a young child, was commuting to and from work using public transportation averaging 3 hours each way. Both father and son were waiting outside in the snow and rain for their transportation. Monthly, he was spending nearly $400 per month on bus fees. His commute was causing a significant burden on his family’s finances and time together. Frankie was awarded his vehicle right before the holiday season, cutting his commute down to 20 minutes and making travel safer for both him and his son. Aside from his excitement about new job opportunities, Frankie was excited to use his awarded vehicle to travel more easily to see family for the holidays.
As a former educator and current healthcare worker, Sabrina knows a thing or two about helping others. She’s spent her career serving her community through education and healthcare, but it hasn’t been easy. Sabrina struggled to commute to work safely, often relying on friends and government resources for senior citizens with disabilities to help her. Working night shifts, she was forced to wait for rides in high crime neighborhoods in the middle of the night. Later, she developed her own healthcare issues making it difficult to stand for long periods of time waiting for transportation. Sabrina received the gift of her donated car around the holiday season. Filled with relief, joy and gratitude, she said, “I would tell my car donor that their sacrifice really makes a difference. They might not know or ever see the impact, but it really does change people’s lives.”
Contact Us Today
There are dozens of members in your community like Frankie and Sabrina. They’re depending on unreliable modes of transportation or sacrificing precious time away from their families to support them. This holiday season, give the gift that goes a little further — the gift of transportation. If you have a vehicle you’d like to donate to someone in your community, we know plenty of deserving families and would be honored to help. Donate your tax-deductible vehicle to a family in need with three simple steps.
