Jennifer Filzen, Author at Car 2nd Chance

Partner Highlight — San Pablo Rotary club

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Things are just getting better and better at Car 2nd Chance! Today, we’d like to highlight a great partner of ours: the San Pablo Rotary Club!

San Pablo Rotary’s mission is to change the world by supporting worthy causes in the region of San Pablo (and beyond). They are an open community of 21 heroes who engage in large fundraisers to help people and movements that matter. They are also great videographers! Check out their “About Us” video here.

We’re incredibly grateful to have a helping partner like the San Pablo Rotary. Working together, we get to help each other contribute to ideas and causes that positively impact people!

If you want to buy a donated vehicle, give cash, or present a car to Cars 2nd Chance, now is a great time to share! Spring Cleaning and clearing out the clutter could inspire you to donate your unused vehicle and help someone recover from a natural disaster or receive food from the Food Bank. First, reach out to cars2ndchance@gmail.com to donate a car that runs, or send an email to clunkers4charity@gmail.com to donate a vehicle that does not run. We appreciate your love and support!

5 Things You May Not Know About Car Donations

Car donations are AWESOME for obvious reasons. However, there are some lesser-known benefits to this kind of charity that are often left overlooked! This article will focus on the lesser-known ones and show you how beneficial for the world, car donations are!

You are changing the world.

100% Of your vehicle donations go to projects that matter all over the globe. You can even pick which projects you want to support by selecting a partner of ours after you donate!
These projects involve schools, shelters for the homeless, food for the poor, and much more!

Even small donations can enact change!

With car donations, you don’t have to go crazy and try to donate a ridiculous sum. We accept vehicles of all types, running or not! Every single donation makes a difference!

You’re doing yourself a favor.

Did you know that the people who give are, in the end, far happier and healthier than the people who don’t? Science data proves that giving increases our sense of well-being. Instead of indulging in complex productivity systems, giving things away is a far simpler self-help tool! 🙂

You are joining a global community.

Vehicle donations are getting extremely popular, and there are a TON of communities forming. If you haven’t found your tribe yet, car donations are fantastic opportunities to find peers like you!
Cars 2nd Chance is a program that Rotarians started in Concord, California. We know that through good deeds, we are helping others in our local and global communities.

You have a choice.

We are not looking for people to donate their Lambos (although we are open to that!). We are looking for people with enthusiasm and who want to make an impact. It is the desire, not the deed, that we reward.

Partner Highlight — Project Healing Waters

Things have been very exciting here at Cars 2nd Chance! We have been attracting the most amazing partners and we are thrilled! For a complete list of our Partners, visit this link. But for our June blog, we want to focus on one of our new partners, Project Healing Waters.

Project Healing Waters is a fly fishing group that benefits wounded military veterans. As a nonprofit, they are dedicated to building a community where all participants — namely disabled active military service personnel and disabled veterans — can heal their physical and emotional wounds. Fly fishing is the ideal setting where these participants can learn new techniques, be out in nature, make new friends, mentor, and be mentored. Truly, it’s a wonderful nonprofit organization.

They have a terrific video gallery showing the great work they’re doing through fly fishing. Check out some of their videos here: https://projecthealingwaters.org/video-gallery/

By partnering with Cars 2nd Chance, Project Healing Waters has the ability to seek car donations that will benefit their community. But what Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing does is much more than a one day fishing trip. For many participants, the socialization and camaraderie of the classes are just as important as the fishing outings. What they’re REALLY doing is casting a lifeline to the wounded veterans who need time to heal. If you know of anyone who would be interested in attending a Project Healing Waters online class or meeting, share this blog post and tell them to register here.

If you want to buy a donated vehicle, give cash, or present a car to Cars 2nd Chance, now is a great time to share! Now that we’re entering the Summer months, you may get a strong desire to clear out the clutter from your garage and donate your unused vehicle. Your car or cash donation will help someone recover from a natural disaster or receive food from the Food Bank. First, reach out to cars2ndchance@gmail.com to donate a vehicle that runs, or send an email to clunkers4charity@gmail.com to donate a car that does not run. As always, we appreciate your love and support!

Where Are They Now? Stories About The Cars We Donated & The People Who Benefitted From Them

For many years, Cars 2nd Chance has donated cars to people and organizations in need. In this month’s blog, we thought we would look at the stories behind those car donations and find out what happened to the people and charities who benefitted from them.

Story #1

In 2017, the local Rotary Clubs donated vehicles to families in need within Contra Costa County. On May 4, 2017, the Clayton Valley-Concord Sunrise Rotary Club presented a refurbished 1998 Dodge Caravan to a family in need at the Monument Crisis Center.

The Caravan was donated to Rotary by a Walnut Creek resident and was rehabilitated through donations of parts, time, and labor by local automotive services businesses, including:

Mechanical repairs from D&H Enterprises, owned by Dave and Mary Kemnitz
Smog repair parts and labor from West Coast Muffler, Automotive Service Councils of California ( ASCCA), and Steve Elstins
Paint and bodywork (complete) from Simply Superior Auto Body, owned by Rich Lezcano (a Rotary Club of Concord member)

Today, that family is doing well and appreciative of all the help they got from Cars 2nd Chance.

Story #2

Another happy story is linked to a donated Recreational Vehicle. The Rotary Clubs of Clayton Valley/Concord and Moraga turned an unwanted motorhome into hope in Sierra Leone with the help of Cars2ndChance. The proceeds from the RV sale were matched by Rotary International and a project that the Moraga Rotary had undertaken in Sierra Leone to help children orphaned by the Ebola epidemic.

Story #3

After the Paradise Camp Fire in October of 2018, Cars 2nd Chance immediately jumped into action to provide needed vehicles to the Paradise fire victims. Collaborating with California Vocations whose entire facility had been destroyed during the fire, Cars 2nd Chance reached out to the SF Bay Area Community for help. A total of 65 cars were donated, reconditioned, and sent to Paradise. Here are photos of one of the caravans of donated cars to Chico delivered to those fire victims. Of the 65 vehicles donated by Cars 2nd Chance, Seven people delivered these six donated cars on Friday, Feb 1, 2019.

Before this special delivery, we met and finished the paperwork in the conference room of D&H Enterprises in Concord. Seven people caravanned in six cars to Chico to make the delivery. Some of the photos showed the cars crossing the bridge and entering Chico city limits.

Many families who lost everything in the fire were incredibly grateful to receive donated vehicles. Today, these fire victims have settled into new homes, rebuilt their lives and businesses, and thrived.

Cars 2nd Chance was developed to help others and make the world a better place through donated vehicles. There are many other happy stories to share, but we will save them for a later time.

If you want to buy a donated vehicle, give cash, or present a car to Cars 2nd Chance, now is a great time to share! We hope these happy stories will inspire you to donate your unused vehicle. Your car or cash donation will help someone recover from a natural disaster or receive food from the Food Bank. First, reach out to cars2ndchance@gmail.com to donate a vehicle that runs, or send an email to clunkers4charity@gmail.com to donate a car that does not run. As always, we appreciate your love and support!

A New Partner: Orinda Association

In this month’s blog, we are featuring one of our new partners, the Orinda Association.

Based in Orinda, California, the Orinda Association is a community-focused nonprofit that supports various local groups. They are a wonderful organization that participates in events such as:

Donate box meals to honor Contra Costa Hospital Workers
Orinda Volunteer Center
The Orinda Annual Classic Car Show
The annual Fourth of July Parade
Transportation for Seniors Around Town
The Orinda News
Cars 2nd Chance
Orinda Community Foundation
And many more…

Founded in 1946, the Orinda Association set out to improve life quality for those living in Orinda. They have multiple volunteer events that enhance the natural beauty, community-mindedness, and character of the Orinda community. The Orinda News is the local printed news delivered to every Orinda household for free, and it’s available online.

Cars 2nd Chance is delighted to have the Orinda Association as a partner. On their website home page, they talk about our good deeds through monies raised by donated cars. https://orindaassociation.org/

If you want to buy a donated vehicle, give cash, or present a car to Cars 2nd Chance, now is a great time to share! Tax Day, spring cleaning, and the desire to clear out the clutter from your garage could inspire you to donate your unused vehicle. Your car or cash donation will help someone recover from a natural disaster or receive food from the Food Bank. First, reach out to cars2ndchance@gmail.com to donate a vehicle that runs, or send an email to clunkers4charity@gmail.com to donate a car that does not run. As always, we appreciate your love and support!

Why Spring Cleaning & Car Donations Go Hand In Hand

Many of us experienced during the first months of COVID cleaning out the closet, getting rid of the clutter, and making do with less. Were you one of those people?

Another thing that happened during the pandemic was that many realized we didn’t need to drive as often because we could permanently work from home. What a pleasant surprise for many business people!

Still, we continue to shift, pivot, and reprioritize our lives as we roll through the changes of 2021. This brings us to the idea of Spring Cleaning in March.

Spring Cleaning is a ritual many of us weave into our seasonal routines. We wash our windows, change our air filters, and replace the old with the new.

Car donations and Spring Cleaning go hand-in-hand this year because many of us are thinking about getting rid of things that take up too much space or cost us too much money to maintain.

For example, if you don’t need two vehicles at home and you can save on insurance fees by donating a car, you could save quite a bit of money for yourself. If you had a two-car garage filled with two vehicles and a ton of clutter, what would it feel like to clean out that garage? Would it feel good to remove one vehicle and a whole lot of stuff you don’t need?

What would you do with the extra space you’ve reclaimed? Turn that portion of your garage into a home gym? A dance studio? A rock-climbing structure for the kids? A VR gameplay space?

Looking at the flip side, what benefits would come out of you donating your car? You might no longer have to pay for gas, insurance, or repair and the person receiving the donated car could have a better future because of that vehicle. Or, if your donated car was fixed up and sold, the proceeds could go toward the Food Bank and other worthy causes that help people during troubling times. How would you feel knowing that the car you thought of as clutter turned out to be a blessing for the recipient?

When you get rid of the old and worn out, you leave space for the new to come in. Who do you know that has too many cars? Cars 2nd Chance urges those who are doing Spring Cleaning this March to consider donating their unused vehicles — whether they are running or not. If you have a car to donate, our donation process is super easy. If you, instead, prefer to donate cash, we are open to that as well.

Or, if you find that you are the one in need of help, ask, and we’ll do our part to assist you. When you willingly give, you are likely to get more due to your generosity.

If you want to buy a donated vehicle, give cash, or present a car to Cars 2nd Chance, now is a great time to share! Spring Cleaning and clearing out the clutter could inspire you to donate your unused vehicle and help someone recover from a natural disaster or receive food from the Food Bank. First, reach out to cars2ndchance@gmail.com to donate a car that runs, or send an email to clunkers4charity@gmail.com to donate a car that does not run. We appreciate your love and support!

5 Unusual Ways To Show Love

Photo by Michael Fenton on Unsplash

This Valentine’s Day, you have the choice to show your love in the typical way or try something different. For a lot of us, doing a last-minute trip to the store to grab a bouquet of flowers and making dinner reservations is our annual go-to method. Can you relate?

But in 2021, we thought we would come up with five unusual, or atypical, ways to show love. Take a look and let us know what you think:

Get your sweetheart’s car serviced.

One of the sweetest things you can do for your loved one is to take care of their car. Nothing says “I love you” quite like a freshly-washed vehicle that has been recently serviced and has a full gas tank. Taking care of your sweetheart’s car, in big and small ways, shows you care about their well-being and safety. Contact your favorite mechanic today to show some love to their auto repair team as well. If you don’t have a favorite mechanic, Cars 2nd Chance recommends D&H Enterprises in Concord, California.

Donate an old vehicle you no longer use to charity.

Got an old car or truck you no longer use? If there is an underutilized vehicle you own that is running or not, you can donate it to charity. That’s a fantastic way to show your love for humanity. Cars 2nd Chance is one of those nonprofit organizations that help families in need. Our donated cars have benefited the Food Bank of Solano and Contra Costa Counties, the Monument Crisis Center, victims of the Paradise Fire of 2018, and many, many Rotary projects both locally and internationally. Regardless if your old vehicle is running or not, Cars 2nd Chance will be delighted to accept it. If it still has life in it, we will repair it before placing it in the hands of the next owner. For more information, visit our FAQs page.

Take a day trip to explore your region.

With the decline of airline travel, road trips have become the hottest way to explore your own backyard. Why not take a day trip with your sweetheart to go on a local adventure? Getting out of your daily routine is a great way to focus on your significant other, make some new memories, and find local treasures you may have overlooked before your trip. Breaking out of the daily blahs may rekindle that special spark in your relationship and allow you to appreciate the gems found within your own geographical region.

Pack a picnic and drive to a beautiful location.

Whether or not you take that day trip in your region, you may want to add this option to your list in showing love. Pack a picnic for two and dine together at a beautiful location. Maybe it’s a picnic by the rocky coastline of Central California? Maybe it’s a backpacked lunch at the summit of a hiking trail? Maybe it’s spreading a big blanket over the lush grass of a neighborhood park? If you pack a picnic and take your sweetheart to a beautiful location, that’s a terrific way to show some love.

Get out in nature.

As you can see, we are big fans of getting outside in nature. With health being a focus for so many of us throughout the pandemic, getting outside in nature is both good for our physical and mental health. If you are unable to take your loved ones outside for long periods of time, you can always take a walk around your neighborhood or place a few chairs in your backyard. Getting some sunshine on your skin allows your body to produce Vitamin D, which is an excellent way to boost your immune system. Getting quiet with your sweetheart and listening to the birds, the wind in the trees, seeing a neighbor’s waving hand, and breathing in fresh air is a wonderful way to show love for yourself and others. Getting out in nature does the body good, as well as the mind.

If you want to show more love in unusual ways, Cars 2nd Chance can help. Buy a donated vehicle, give cash, or present a car to Cars 2nd Chance. Now is a great time to share! If you donate your unused vehicle, you will help someone recover from a natural disaster or receive food from the Food Bank. First, reach out to cars2ndchance@gmail.com to donate a car that runs, or send an email to clunkers4charity@gmail.com to donate a car that does not run. We appreciate your love and support!

New Year’s Resolutions Around Charity & Doing Good For Others

Image by Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay

Now that 2020 is behind us and we have moved into 2021, many of us are giving thought to New Year’s Resolutions. For us, our New Year’s Resolutions for 2021 revolve around charity and doing good for others. That is why in this month’s blog, we want to share some ideas we have about giving to others to make the world a better place.

Though many claim that the year 2020 was a dumpster fire of a year, we at Cars 2nd Chance found a silver lining of good coming out of a challenging year. For one, we saw that more people were quickly becoming food insecure during the early months of Covid-19. That is why we were inspired to take the money from car donations and support the Food Bank of Solano and Contra Costa Counties. In 10 months, we have donated $50,000 and pledged $100,000 to the Food Bank to help feed hungry families and individuals within our communities.

We also took the initiative to provide donated cars to families and individuals in need. Some were young couples starting their lives together, while others were disabled or homeless. To see car donations come through that would lend a hand up to those who needed extra support, it warmed our hearts to see that much good coming out of our Cars 2nd Chance program.

We are hoping with all our might that 2021 is going to be a better, more stable, and productive year, but there are no guarantees. Two years ago, we gave donated cars to people who lost their homes in the Paradise Camp Fire disaster. There is and always will be a need to help others facing significant challenges within our community. That is why our New Year’s Resolutions continue to focus on charity and doing good for others. It’s who we are as Rotarians, and that is why we love all the goodness that comes through our Cars 2nd Chance program.

If you are still undecided about what you want to do for yourself and others in 2021, we invited you to resolve to help those in need through Cars 2nd Chance. If you have a car you wish to donate, our donation process is super easy. If you, instead, prefer to donate cash, we are open to that as well. Or, if you find that you are the one in need of help, ask, and we’ll do our part to assist you. When you willingly give, you are likely to get more, due to your generosity.

If you want to buy a donated vehicle, give cash, or present a car to Cars 2nd Chance, now is a great time to share! If you resolve to give more this year, donate your unused vehicle to help someone recover from a natural disaster or receive food from the Food Bank. First, reach out to cars2ndchance@gmail.com to donate a car that runs, or send an email to clunkers4charity@gmail.com to donate a car that does not run. We appreciate your love and support!

End Of Year Giving

Ah, December! It’s our favorite time of year. This month is when we put forth an extra effort towards giving a bit more at the end of the year.

2020 has been an interesting year, at best. Cars 2nd Chance has been busy processing car donations that benefit the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. We also have donated cars to people who lost their vehicles in the Paradise Campfire of 2018, as well as funding an end to polio in 2016-2017. Cars 2nd Chance pursues opportunities and partnerships that will help us reduce suffering, improve quality of life, and lift each other up through car donations.

We have explained our process quite a bit on our website, but to reiterate, the donation process is quite simple. If you have a car you want to donate — regardless if it is running or not — contact us here and we will walk you through the process.

Look, we know that 2020 has been life-changing for everyone. Some have been using the additional time at home to their benefit. They have been cleaning and organizing their closets, getting rid of old furniture that no longer serves them, emptying old storage lockers of items they no longer need and finding new homes for their old cars. If you have a vehicle that is taking up space in your garage that you don’t plan to repair or use any longer, why not donate it to Cars 2nd Chance?

There are so many benefits to giving donated items at the end of the year. It’s good for tax deductions if you’re seeking a tax break. It’s a great lesson you can share with your children and grandchildren about helping others who are less fortunate. Plus, it feels good, knowing that your donation is benefiting charities who are doing their part to make the world a better place.

If you do not have a vehicle to donate but you would like to help Cars 2nd Chance, we accept cash donations as well. By donating money, you can still get the tax benefits and the good feelings of being a philanthropist.

Lastly, another way you can help Cars 2nd Chance is to purchase one of our donated vehicles. If you, a family member, or a friend of yours is in the market for a used vehicle, Cars 2nd Chance has some amazing cars for sale that might surprise you! Some of our favorites are this beautiful 1971 VW Beetle show car, and a lovely Mazda Miata. Not all donated cars are junkers, that’s for sure!

Cars 2nd Chance is making a positive impact on Rotary Clubs and communities internationally as well. For example, the Rotary Club of San Felipe in Baja, Mexico, is also sharing our mission and seeking car donations. Truly, the combined efforts of our partners are inspiring. Check out the full list of our partners to see who is going the extra mile to give others a chance at a better life.

If you want to buy a donated vehicle, give cash, or donate a vehicle to Cars 2nd Chance, December is the best time to give! To celebrate the religious holidays and show the children in your life about giving, donate your unused car to help someone recover from a natural disaster, or receive food from the Food Bank. To begin, reach out to cars2ndchance@gmail.com to donate a vehicle that runs, or send an email to clunkers4charity@gmail.com to donate a car that does not run. We appreciate your love and support!

Putting Gratitude to Work for You

In the theme of giving thanks during November, let’s talk about gratitude.

Back in the early 2000s, Dave and Mary Kemnitz had a problem that needed solving. At their auto repair shop, D & H Enterprises in Concord, California, they were continually faced with disposing of vehicles that their customers did not want any longer. Most donation centers had huge administrative fees and they kept thinking that there must be a better way. Suddenly These abandoned, unwanted cars gave them an idea. As long-standing Rotarians, they knew that many underprivileged families could use these vehicles. When they looked around at the options to donate these vehicles, they were sickened by the huge admin fee the donation centers were taking.

So, they decided to start two initiatives: Cars 2nd Chance in 2008, working with their local Rotary Club’s Foundation and since that was so successful, began developing Cars for Careers for their automotive trade organization, ASCCA’s Educational Foundation, ASCEF in 2009. Rotary donated cars were either repaired and sold directly from their business or sent directly to Copart Auto Auction to be sold. The Cars for Career’s vehicles went straight to the auction, and ASCCA shops from all over the state began directing cars to the project. Through the years, cars have either been repaired and sold to needy families, repaired and donated to needy families, or sent directly to auction. The proceeds changed many lives. When the cars were repaired, they could either be donated to families who needed them or sell the vehicles, and the proceeds would provide money to these two organizations. What a brilliant solution!

We are grateful that Dave and Mary Kemnitz have been tireless in their efforts to accept donated cars and get them operating again over the years. Today, these cars have a second chance at serving those who need them. Additionally, these cars allow automotive repair students the opportunity to get their hands on a vehicle, learn how to repair it, and feel good knowing that their class project is doing good for the community at large. We believe that’s a complete cycle of putting gratitude to work for you.

So now, let’s talk about those folks who want to put their gratitude to work.

Some people feel the need to donate their cars to help others because they are in an excellent financial position. If you have an older car that you are considering donating, you can get a tax deduction for the donation. Here’s how:

First, you must donate the car to a qualifying charity. Donating it to a family member won’t qualify for a deduction.
Second, you must itemize deductions on Schedule A. The deduction is generally the sales proceeds from selling the car. There are exceptions if the charity keeps the vehicle for business purposes or donates it to a needy person.
Third, the deduction cannot exceed 50% of your adjusted gross income. The charity will provide you with a Form 1098-C that will tell you the amount the car was sold.
Fourth, you must attach Form 8283 to your tax return if claiming a deduction greater than $500.

If you want to put gratitude to work for you, consider donating your vehicle to Cars 2nd Chance. If you’re going to set an excellent example for your family, consider making this a family project, so your children learn the positive benefits of helping others. To demonstrate and show the children in your life about gratitude, donate your unused car to help someone recover from a natural disaster, or receive food from the Food Bank. To begin, reach out to cars2ndchance@gmail.com to donate a vehicle that runs, or send an email to clunkers4charity@gmail.com to donate a car that does not.

For you, we are forever grateful!