The Car Donors

Naila who gave her car to Ramzia

I did explore other options for getting rid of my car, however I found the idea of selling it stressful and time consuming. I was also so grateful to have had access to a car all these years, and heard through a colleague that Wheels to Work had connected a vehicle to another refugee family very recently, and it made a world of difference for them. Given the car had been gifted to me, I wanted to carry on that tradition.

Donating to Wheels to Work was such a hassle-free process! It took an email and a phone call to set up a time to meet me at my apartment and sign some paperwork, and after that the car was out of my hands. At first I was a little worried about whether my car was fit for donating, but Wheels to Work assured me that they were beyond happy with the condition of the car, which was a relief. The Wheels to Work Staff was helpful, professional, and provided me with all the information and documentation needed to walk me through their process.

After donating my vehicle to a needy individual through Wheels to Work, I received some information about where the car was placed, and how it had transformed the life of the recipient and her broader community. I never imagined that this donation might be so valuable to someone else – not just in terms of access or its monetary value, but the fact that it symbolized something much greater – a newfound independence, a sense of pride, and the many new opportunities that mobility opens up. Hearing that this donation had been so life changing for another member of my community literally brought me to tears. I am so grateful I was able to make this connection and that within only a few weeks it had made such an impact.

• Naila from Cleveland

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The Prendergast Family that gave their car to “A Daughter and a Mother”

The Toyota Camry belonged to my mother-in-law. After she died, we purchased it from my father-in-law. The car was used for our children to get to and from highschool and later college. My son  also used it as a way to get to his Summer job. 

We thought about selling the car, but when we heard about WTW, we thought it would serve someone who truly needed it. The entire process was quite easy as the organization did everything for us. 

The organization sent us pictures of the new car owner and even shared a personal testimony as to how the car has impacted and enhanced her life. I would highly recommend donating a car to WTW as the process is simple and a game changer for someone who needs transportation to make a better life for themself, their family and our community!

• Mrs. Prendergast from Shaker Heights

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Mark and Becca who gave their car to “Fawad” 

This was the newest car I’ve ever owned! I had the ability to finally buy a nicer car, and I loved the Mazda 3, as my mom had the same car but a year older.

I looked into trade-in, however I was only offered $300 for trade in from the Mazda dealership. I also looked into selling on Craigslist, and while the vehicle got a lot of hits the couple of times I posted on there I couldn’t bring myself to sell it on Craigslist. It’s a special car to me being that it was a twin of my late mother’s car, and I wanted it to go to something special and WTW was special to me!

I got the feeling that the car was going to someone who really needed it, and a car is more than transportation to me. A car comes with its turning radius, its visibility, its smells and its comfort. It has its own health, it’s own life, and it’s own memories and can become very personalized. This car marked something momentous in my life, and it came with me across the country to my new home. And so I wanted to give to someone who really valued it, and would cherish it as I have.

WTW is a rare organization with a specific intention of helping those who need transportation without gain or profit. They find people who don’t know how they’re going to get around, and give them hope. If you know what hopelessness feels like, and you have the means to be a part of something as special as WTW, you won’t regret it. 

• Mark from Lyndhurst

Naila with her car

The Prendergast’s family car with the drivers

Mark with his donated Mazda