helping others in need Archives

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!

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!