When television entertains and inspires

Do you turn the TV on to tune out reality? Yeah. Me too. I love to get lost in all kinds of story telling — SciFi, murder mysteries, drama, sitcoms. If it’s done right, I’m in! Must Love Dogs (now streaming on CBC Gem) is a combination of drama, humour, and a purpose-filled call to action.

Sprinkled with a whole lot of adorability and good dose of animal justice, this is one show that might be a cozy watch on warm spring evenings.

“Must love dogs” is a mantra we see in our charities daily

Vehicle donations have being going to the dogs for 20 years around here. Because folx give where they care, animal shelters, SPCA charities, and humane societies are often selected as a vehicle donor’s charity of choice.

We know that vehicle donors must love dogs! Whether it’s one beloved Lumina, or multiple vehicles over time, vehicle donors give-give-give for critter care.

Caring for critters in all the ways

“It’s hard to give up the van (we are very sentimental about it), but my husband and I are so happy that the funds can be donated to Funds for Furry Friends. Because we adopt senior dogs and of our fur babies came from them, we know they are a wonderful group who foster dogs in home settings.”

J and B came to us from remote Manitoba with a ’97 Astro and the wish to help the cause they love. J offered that she wished the donation to be made in honour of two of their rescue pooches. She reminded us, “If there are no dogs in heaven, I want to go where the dogs go.” ~ Will Rogers

Paws together for humane society vehicle donors

Can you relate?

For over two decades, humane society car donors have been helping critters. In every province in Canada, vehicles raise valuable donation dollars. And boy-oh-boy, do these charities know how to stretch a buck!

Giving to your local shelter, rescue, and SPCA is a simple process. Moreover, it will never cost you or your charity a penny!

‘Don’t see your Must Love Dogs rescue on our charities list? No problem. Just let us know. Then, we will make sure the charity you love (any one in Canada) receives your donation!

Click or call in to donate — it’s quick, easy, free

Click the giant red button on our home page to donate to your local humane society today. Or, call in to 1-877-250-4904. We are happy to help in person! You will have the option to choose any charity from our receiving list — including those who are directly caring for your furry friends and family.

Not quite ready to donate? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to get an overall feel for how we care for each other and our charities here. You are welcome in this caring community!

The post Must Love Dogs | Dog Rescue Car Donation Style! appeared first on Donate A Car.

Digging in the dirt

You know that February feeling: your whole body and brain start wishing for (aching for?) sun, for warmth. You just want to get outside. I start sticking my fingers in the back garden dirt somewhere around the beginning of March. Is the ground thawed yet? Is it now? How about now?

We start watching for signs that the world around is shifting from winter freeze to blossom and greenery and light. And then that day comes. The earth has warmed enough that winter’s deadfall can be raked from the yard. The gardens are ready for a little loosening of soil. It’s too soon to plant, but not to soon to prepare.

Beyond the backyard

There’s a bit of the mystical in the turning of this season. Tackling some home and vehicle maintenance projects. Working the earth. Cleaning out corners. It’s not a leap to start thinking about some of life’s deeper questions. We might begin to see things more clearly — in brighter colors. Even the things we typically keep tucked away internally.

This is where we start to think about what we’re really hoping for from life. We think differently about relationships (maybe even feel a little Twitterpated?). We might feel a bit more adventurous and begin to consider travelling further afield. Spring has the potential for wonderment.

Taking time for Spring

This season, just when I’d typically gear up — energized by newness and planting and scrubbing — I’m practicing slowing down. Seeing. Looking closely at the soil and the rocks that I love so much. Acknowledging the miraculous-science of every green sprout. Especially the hardy little peeps that are already braving air above earth. Being grateful for the garage that needs power washing. Making space in cluttered cupboards. And making space in a cluttered mind.

There’s no formula to this. No self-help book. ‘Just a little bit of practicing: what do I see? Right now. In front of me. My son? Maybe the Goodness that he carries so comfortably? I might notice that the swallows did their first fly-by yesterday. They’re just checking to see if we still have rooms for rent this year. We sure do! I could be reminded that we haven’t had sickness in our home for long months, and that when difficulties do come, we have friends close-by. Or I could take a moment for poetry?

New life straight ahead

Here’s to Spring bringing vibrancy and hope into your (no doubt!) busy and sometimes beleaguered days. For what it’s worth, internet stranger, you have permission to take deep, deep breaths. To pause. Come awake to whatever version of beauty you have right in front of you. To engage with that newness. Maybe even enjoy it all?

Enough fluff! I need more practical spring maintenance!

Needing a little less introspection and a little more get at ‘er? If you’re looking to clear the yard or driveway of an unused, unwanted vehicle, we’ve got you sorted! Click below to donate, or call in to 1-877-250-4904. We’ll get you set up with your free tow and you’ll have one less thing to tend to as you enjoy your Springtime!

The post Spring Maintenance appeared first on Donate A Car.

Signs of Spring are everywhere. Between a few little cold snaps, I’ve spotted gophers, flies, motorcyclists, and the ultimate sign: our first robin!

Rabbits and streetsweepers

As I sit (on the deck…in the sunshine) rambling on, a street sweeper is taking his initial swipe at our gravel-strewn street. The family of wild rabbits that makes their home under the neighbors’ deck is scampering wildly around the yard. And the neighbor’s dog is going nuts over those same bunnies.

The mama skunk that has been prowling the hood (I tracked her for miles in the freshly fallen snow the other day) has happily claimed pretty much everyone’s front porch in her mafia-like landgrab. Who’s going to argue with her? She and I had an encounter on our walking path just the other day. There’s only one way in and one way out of this particular stretch of green space. I was attempting to make my way out. She wanted in. I froze. She froze. And we both, wordlessly and simultaneously, gave each other a very wide berth.

Signs of spring…in the garage

Just about now we all start feeling a little Marie Kondo need to find some joy-through-purging, scrubbing, and expunging. I’ve gone through closets and cupboards and basement corners. How we accumulate so.much.stuff in such little time I do not know. But we do. And every year it’s gotta’ go.

The garage is always the last place to get any attention, right? In fact, it’s the spot I purge everything out into! The floor is caked in everything from mud to salt to some reluctant-to-go ice. There are tires for multiple vehicles, bins full of goodness-knows-what, and a “work bench” where zero work occurs, and lots of work-ish bits and bobs build up.

Get that clunker out of the way

If maneuvering around a project car is making the garage clean-up crazy-making, consider donating? Many of us have tired old vehicles just taking up space in the garage, or on the driveway. We had good intentions to fix ’em, but is it worth it? We’ve hem’d and haw’d, weighing the cost of fixing against the value of the vehicle. If it’s costing you more to keep it, it may be that its re-sale or recycle value would be more meaningful to your charity of choice than the sentimental value of the car to you?

Whatever the signs of spring in your back yard or garage, some warm sun and the beginnings of green and growing things are sure to give us all a boost in the month ahead. Here’s to a successful clean up, and lots of time to enjoy the wake-up weeks of the world around us.

The post Signs of Spring in Canada appeared first on Donate A Car.

National Volunteer Week

If you have dollars to give, hooboy does your charity of choice ever need them now. Please give. But if finding two cents to rub together is the joke of the day? Share of yourself in a different way. This coming week, charities across Canada are honouring humans that help! Volunteer Canada notes, “Participating, contributing and volunteering helps to create connections, community and belonging.”

Canadian charities function in no small part because of the folks who believe in, and give their time to, them. Around here we have the happy luck of seeing the effects of this across the country. As April has unfolded we have seen hundreds of charity posts spreading gratitude for their volunteers.

Folks like you and I are at-the-ready to fix, haul, create, sort, drive, cook, sing, or slop out a horse stall. We clean riverbanks and transport wildlife. Some babysit and others run whole summer camps. We offer compassionate care in cancer clinics and diabetes classes. Some bravely champion human rights.

The Mayo Clinic gives us some clues about why this kind of caring keeps us coming back for more:

1. Volunteering improves physical and mental health.

2. It provides a sense of purpose and teaches valuable skills.

3. And it can nurture new and existing relationships.

Looking for a place to start your own volunteer experience?

Our little team here loves working alongside vehicle donors. Our business serves Canada-wide in this one specific way. In our down time we find places to give back by supporting the causes we personally love, too. For me, this comes in a couple of different shapes. For example, I sing in a “memory choir”. This unique non-profit is set up to match volunteers with folks living with memory loss in the form of dementia or Alzheimer’s. The science says that when we sing in community it’s super duper good for brain health and mental wellbeing. I have to admit, I joined the choir to volunteer for the sake of others, but the benefits for me have been unquantifiable!

Are you looking for a ready-made community built around volunteerism? This might be one place to start: “Volunteer Canada is leading the development of a comprehensive National Volunteer Action Strategy. That strategy will help to ensure that all people in Canada have pathways to participation that support the shifting ways people connect in their communities. We can support your organization with tools and resources to effectively engage community participation and support a broad range of diverse volunteers.”

A go-to hub for us here at Donate a Car Canada?

We LOVE CanadaHelps! Did you know that they champion over 80,000 charities on their website? If you already have a clear focus for where you would like to give your time and creativity, CanadaHelps can point you in the direction of the group or organization that needs you!

You can even take a boo at our “Charities” tab on our own home page. There you’ll find hundreds of charities that need Unique You. ‘Love animals? Your local SPCA or wildlife conservancy would love your support. ‘Drawn to hospital care? There’s a place for you with your local foundation. The same goes for libraries, health-based charities, and children’s groups. Volunteer with seniors, the theatre, or literacy advocates. Whatever caring cause you love, there’s a place for you.

Whether you are an individual, a faith group, a book club, or a business team, this is your time. Get out there and show Canada what you’ve got this National Volunteer Week!

The post Creative Giving | Pockets Full of Holes? Volunteer! appeared first on Donate A Car.

What happens when I donate a vehicle?

First, we have live humans answering an actual phone line every day (1-877-250-4904)! That noted, many folks call in whilst in the middle of the important decision: Should they sell a vehicle privately? Should they donate it for the charity they love?

A beautiful extension of the Donate a Car Canada program is that when you donate your unused, unwanted vehicle, you can choose ANY Canadian charity to gift. The net proceeds from the re-sale/recycling of your car, truck, van, SUV, or motorcycle goes directly to the charity.

There are zero costs or tasks left to the charity. We manage all aspects of the donation process. CanadaHelps manages the actual receipting process. This allows your chosen cause to continue doing the work they’re missioned with — no distractions!

And what about you? How is it good for you? Beyond the joy of giving (which you know is a happy buzz!), there are a few key wins:

Your free tow

Within hours of completing your donation form, one of our agents will call you to arrange free pick up of your vehicle. These crews are highly adaptive and will work with you to serve within the time frame that serves you best. These professionals know their stuff. They’ll assist with everything from proper registration paperwork and transfer of ownership to the care and keeping of your property when they come for the vehicle.

That tax receipt

Once your vehicle is picked up and re-sold or recycled, it’s just a matter of accounting completion. You will be kept apprised of where things are at in your process all along the way, including letting you know when your gift has actually been disbursed to your charity of choice. The receipt will arrive to your inbox shortly thereafter. You’ll receive a link for accessing copies of the tax receipt if your original is somehow misplaced, too. And we’ll be a click, an email, or a phone call away if you have any questions about this process at any point along the way.

The reassurance that this service is here for the long haul

Donate a Car has been at this for 20 years! Many vehicle donors return twice, three times, or many-many more! We’ve had business fleet vehicle donors come back one year after another to donation a handful of vehicles at a time. Others experience a change in family circumstances. We have carefully tended process around estate vehicle donation and other extenuating circumstances. We are a personalized, compassionate, and joy-filled service. Honouring each donor and their gift as unique is what we do!

So, why would I opt to sell a vehicle privately instead?

Dollars to donuts, if you sell a vehicle privately you may see a slightly stronger dollar amount than will be reflected in a vehicle donation tax receipt. There are few reasons for this:

When re-selling a vehicle through auction or via another bidding process, agents simply do not see Blue/Black Book values. This is often because the sales reflect what the precise current market will support.

There are some fees incurred in the running of the business end of things. Donate a Car Canada is a business that serves from coast to coast. We keep our costs low through several key means: our team is lean, and we all work from home. Because we are an online service, our running supplies are also minimal. That said, we do have employees (the reason you can talk to a funny and fabulous human when you call in, and you’ll get a personal note when you email).

Our agents cannot afford to donate their truck, fuel, and staff costs. Some of the value of the vehicle will need to go to the agent providing service. The cost of business for ourselves and for our agents are a factor in the donation outcome.

Simplifying life one vehicle at a time

If times are tight and pennies are pinched, the choice to sell a vehicle privately may be the route for you. But if there’s some wiggle room in the budget, donation may be the perfect service for you! One way of assessing that is considering how “full” your own bottle is. If your bills are met, you have the freedom to pick up a coffee from time to time, and maybe a vacation is in the plans, donation may be one way for you to extend care in your community.

If the bills are well in hand, trips are a no-brainer, and there’s lots of room to give in the bank account, giving in this way might be an easy Yes!

So, if you’re done with it, do good with it! The process is simple, quick, and free! If you have more questions, pop over to our FAQ’s. If you’d rather talk to one of our team, find us at 1-877-250-4904, Monday – Friday, 9:00 – 5:00 MT.

The post Sell a Vehicle Privately, or Donate it? appeared first on Donate A Car.

Growing hope and sustaining kindness one choice at a time

How do you keep your attention focused on hope and human kindness when surrounded by instability and uncertainty? Have you noticed that you have a whole lot of agency in some parts of your life? You may be experiencing considerable lack of control in others?

What are your go-to activities, practices, and hobbies you engage in when you need to bolster your (or your loved ones) outlook?

“Hope” is the thing with feathers

~ Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –

Sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –

I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.

The Canadian charities keeping hope alive

Charities like the Canadian Cancer Society help hope bloom! You likely already know that April is Daffodil Month! Every year, the CCS shares their brightly-coloured floral campaign inviting us to give, volunteer, and support folks living with cancer.

While not every charity is literally bloomin’ flowers, thousands (and we do mean 1,000’s!) of helping organizations are fostering resilience and determination.

They do this by building houses, filling fridges, fostering literacy, providing shelter, and caring for critters of every shape and size. ‘Need a quick dopamine zot? Spend a few hours volunteering at your local animal shelter. Join a walk-run-ride for your charity of choice! Engage your local theatre. Experience the robust earth caring efforts of your local conservation group.

Is anything so effective in bolstering faith in humanity than participating in helping and community?

Here’s where to start looking for inspiration

Remember those thousands of helping organizations? There is nothing quite so inspiring as exploring site after site showcasing the remarkable groups whose mission it is to just make the world a better place!

Have you heard of CanadaHelps? This is the go-to site to begin hope building. You might start your who’s-who of human kindness search with their list of 86,000 charities. You read that right! Or, get behind their “Cause Funds”. These are clusters of groups rallying behind similar causes. Join a local community of like-minded humans compassionately working toward very good ends! Or, if your wish is to make a difference related to an urgent, crisis situation, they have a link for that, too!

So, begin your exploration today. Perhaps there will be hope and motivation to be found in previously unexplored places.

The post Help Hope Bloom | Cancer Care and More appeared first on Donate A Car.

How Artemis II and her crew inspire

As I write these few words about inspiring humans, I’m getting a little education on how the Artemis II crew is to be transported from their craft to the medical bay. They’re about to fill their lungs with Earth air once again. Feet firmly planted on our little orb, they’ll turn their attention toward helping their bodies readjust to the pull of gravity.

The crew is comprised of Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen (Oh, Canada!). If you’re like me, you’ve likely been a bit taken up with the many messages that have been beamed down to us from journey. Messages of integrity, togetherness, compassion, and achievement.

Waiting hopefully-expectantly for them to safely poke their noses out into Earth’s sea air feels like we’re, somehow, all connected by those messages.

Messages like…

Koch: “We will explore. We will build.” She goes on, “We will build ships. We will visit again.” Then, “We will construct science outposts. We will drive rovers.” And, “We will do radio astronomy. We will found companies.” Finally, “We will bolster industry. We will inspire. But ultimately, we will always choose Earth. We will always choose each other.”

Then, Glover: “Trust us, you look amazing, you look beautiful. And from up here, you also look like one thing. Homo sapiens, all of us, no matter where you’re from or what you look like, we’re all one people.“

Hansen: “As we surpass the furthest distance humans have ever traveled from planet Earth, we do so in honoring the extraordinary efforts and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration. We will continue our journey even further into space before Mother Earth succeeds in pulling us back to everything that we hold dear. But we most importantly choose this moment to challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long-lived.”

And lastly, Wiseman: “No matter how long we look at this, our brains are not processing this image in front of us. It is absolutely spectacular, surreal. I know there’s no adjectives. I’m going to need to invent some new ones to describe what we are looking at out this window.”

Our global community and reaching for the stars

The Artemis II mission is, these intrepid explorers have often noted, the outcome of ingenuity and effort be hundreds of people. People working together in concert, across nations. Then putting ingenuity and effort into inspirational execution.

(As I write, mission control has taken the microphone. In the background you can hear the cacophony of humanity working, waiting, expecting, and thinking ahead. Furthermore, even as they await the transport of The Four via army transport helicopters to med support, mission control is already talking about missions yet to come!)

Artemis missions “to the moon and beyond” will be the effort of women and men around the world.

Beyond Artemis II

Jubilation has just broken out at mission control as the first crew member emerged from Integrity. The rousing and inspiring success of this mission will compel the NASA program forward for decades to come.

Our Canadian representative on board, Jeremy Hansen, has proven to be a joyful sage at every grip of the mic. Leading up to departure, and in flight, his commentary has been both playful and evocative. Instructing us to “live in our integrity,” he often notes the Anishinaabe seven sacred teachings (respect, love, courage, honesty, wisdom, humility, truth) that are represented on his flight patch.

These are values we can all lean into, hey? These are the values that pulse through humanity — the very best of who we are in individually, and in community. The very best of who we can be even while our feet are firmly planted on terra firma. Hansen’s gentle challenge to himself, then to his children, and out beyond to all of us, is to live deeply into the best of who we all can be. A sage call to lovingkindness that resounds, now, to the moon and back.

The post Mooning Over Artemis II | We’re All One People appeared first on Donate A Car.

April: a basket full of everything Easter to Earth Day

What does your Easter weekend have you tuckin’ into? This might be all about family…avoiding them, or enjoying their company in quantity! Perhaps you’re equal parts floppy ears and floppy slippers? This might be a weekend of honouring deeply held religious practices. It could be a scrabble for hidden bunnies and eggs, offering permission to dive into the chocolate like it’s your full-time job!

The month honours the Easter holiday in so many ways. What we aren’t as familiar with as the many other causes and cares represented early in Spring. I happen to be writing this on National Cat Lady Day, for example! Here are just a few of the “awareness” markers recognized this month:

#HelpHopeBloom | #DaffodilMonth

Earth Month! 🌎💚🌱

#ParkinsonAwarenessMonth

Autism Acceptance Month♾️🌈🧩

#OrganAndTissueDonationAwarenessMonth |#BeADonorMonth

Child Abuse Prevention Month💙💙💙

#SexualAssaultAwarenessMonth

When Spring is in the air

There’s something about this time of year that invites fresh starts and boundless possibility. For some faith traditions, Easter is a reminder of hope. For the commercial world, it’s certainly an opportunity to splash a whole lot of everything-is-gonna-be-okay pastel from wall to wall!

If you’re feeling the pull of warmer air and softer earth, you might even be getting the bug to scrub out the corners. Clearing out the closets and sweeping out the garage feel a bit more do-able right around this time of year.

Keep your local charities in mind as you free-up your own living space? Your local critter shelters may be just the right spot for your old blankets and sheets. Clothing donations can be a real boon for charities supporting women in crisis. Thinking of putting in a garden this Spring? Plant an extra row! Give that produce to your foodbank or food shed.

And, of course, if you have an unused, unwanted vehicle taking up space in the yard, the garage, or the driveway, we’re your one-stop spot for turning four wheels into valuable donation dollars for your charity of choice!

Here’s to you finding hope, lightness-of-step, and a human kindness cause that helps you feel the newness and promise of Spring!

The post Easter Month | From Faithful to Fanciful appeared first on Donate A Car.

Spring Cleaning — Gettin’ it done around the house

Companies abound to help with our many tasks as cleaning and organizational gurus blog, Youtube, and publish books on how we can get a little peace of mind by sorting through the sock drawer.

If you’re looking for a start to your own Spring cleaning venture, Good Housekeeping can give you a nudge in the right direction in almost every corner of your home.

Your “second home” | Spring cleaning tips for your car

What about outside the four walls of the house? You spend so much time chauffeuring, commuting, and connecting with loved ones in your home-on-wheels, and Wheels.ca can help with the how-tos of getting that home away from home in top shape for the season.

‘Ready to do more than just clean the stuff you have?

If you’re ready to clear the driveway altogether, or just need an unused vehicle removed from the garage, consider donating to one of Canada’s far-reaching charities. Your “junk” really can become another person’s treasure, and we’re here to help with the clean-up!

We make this bit of spring cleaning simple, cheerful, and free.

First, get a quick start by clicking the red button below. It will take you to our donation form. Just a few minutes and you’ll be on your way to a free tow. ‘Looking for human connection? Call us at 1-877-250-4904 where you’ll have the chance to talk with a funny, savvy, caring human!

Then, just wait for your phone to ring. That will be the tow agent calling to arrange tow timing that suits you best.

Finally, watch your inbox. The tax receipt from your charity of choice will land there once we have processed payment for your donated vehicle.

Wherever possible, we re-sell donated vehicles (as-is, to the highest bidder). Where needed, we recycle them. Either way, your chosen charity (you really can choose ANY Canadian charity!) will receive the net proceeds from the processing of your donated van, truck, SUV, car, or motorcycle.

Spring cleaning with a generous flare! We can’t wait to serve you well…

The post Spring Cleaning | From Closet to Carport appeared first on Donate A Car.

Fast facts | The Canadian Mental Health Association breaks it down

Mental health and mental illness: what is the difference?

• Illness and health are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing.
• “Mental health” is a concept similar to “physical health”: it refers to a state of well-being. It includes our emotions, feelings of connection to others, our thoughts and feelings, and being able to manage life’s highs and lows.
• The presence or absence of a mental illness is not a predictor of being healthy mentally; someone without a mental illness could have poor mental health, just as a person with a mental illness could have excellent mental health.

Read more on the CMHA website!

What does this have to do with me?

It has really only been in my lifetime that we have started talking openly about this aspect of our wellbeing. If you are a little older, you may well remember a time when feelings simply were not discussed. Maintaining composure and bottling things up were signs of strength. We have moved beyond that, now. There is a growing permission to name what is true for all of us: we are resilient; we are vulnerable.

Our emotional and processing health needs the same attention we might give a tummy ache, a broken leg, or a migraine. Minding our emotions and overall wellbeing is as important as taking care of our cardiovascular system.

In wobbly times like these, turning attention inward is important. We are learning to take care of our self — maybe with some of the same compassion we are quick to offer each other!

How can I help my loved ones?

And that compassion that you so readily turn toward your friends and family is important. Do you need to tag in some extra support? Here are a few of the charities that we work alongside through vehicle donation:

Your local chapter of the CMHA

Breaking Free Foundation

Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention Centre of BC

Horizons For Youth

Kids Help Phone

Mental Health Foundation

Sunshine Therapy Dogs

Umbrella Society for Addictions & Mental Health

Westman Mental Wellness & Suicide Prevention

Your local Distress Centre

How you can help your mental health charity today

Perhaps you would like to give the cause you love a little extra back up? The charities named above are just a few — your car, you choice! You can gift your vehicle to ANY Canadian charity. Aid the work of the cause you love by donating your car, truck, van, SUV, or motorcycle. Re-sold or recycled, it will bring a valuable donation. The tow is always free. Moreover, you will receive a tax receipt from your charity, too!

Not quite ready to donate? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! There you will get an overall feel for how we care for each other and our charities. This is a caring community, here to serve you.

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