What Oxfam is all about

Vision: A just world without poverty.

Mission: To build lasting solutions to poverty and injustice with a focus on women’s rights.

The challenge: “Be part of building a positive future now. A future where women and girls are free from the injustice of poverty.”

When women’s rights are respected…

…women are healthier, better educated, and better paid.

“One person in three in the world lives in poverty. Oxfam is determined to change that world by mobilizing the power of people against poverty.”

This charity works to find practical, innovative ways for people to lift themselves out of poverty and thrive. They save lives and help rebuild livelihoods when crisis strikes. Furthermore, they campaign so that the voices of the poor influence the local and global decisions that affect them.

It takes muscle

Empowering women is a community effort. Equality requires education. It requires protection. For this reason, laws must be changed and health tended to.

Your ideas and creativity help. Here at home. Around the world.

Participate in having a conversation. Let’s expand our understanding. What are the issues Canadian women face? What does it mean to be poor in Canada? Notice attitudes and beliefs about gender roles.

Pay attention to the policies and procedures of your own company. What’s happening at your children’s school? Or at the neighborhood pub? Are the women in your life safe?

Similarly, let’s reach beyond our neighbhorhoods and our own country. For instance, educate yourself on women’s issues around the world. Talking about what we learn is an active step in the right direction. As go the roots, so goes the tree. Dip your own roots deep into understanding. After that, allow that knowing to spread, and watch attitudes shift. As attitudes adjust, beliefs change.  Policies and laws change as a result.

Oxfam in cooperation

“Oxfam works with partner organizations and alongside vulnerable women and men to end the injustices that cause poverty.”

Visit the charity’s website or Facebook page to experience a world-expanding view! It’s not a shallow dive. They touch into bigBIG issues that break the heart and challenge beliefs about humanity. In addition, they inspire to consider the part that we each play in shifting the balance of power around the globe.

You will be introduced to survivors and thrivers! Inspiring women. Suffering peoples. Furthermore, you will be invited to offer a practical hand up in so many ways!

Consider this:

Is this the charity for you? Donate your recycle or re-sale ready vehicle. Free tow. Excellent donor support. A monetary gift to Oxfam!

No car to donate today? Visit their Take Action page. Explore ways to champion women’s equality.

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One year, myriad challenges

2020. This was a Hollywood blockbuster thriller/adventure movie of a year. Seeing this year in the rearview mirror is welcome relief for many Canadians. Others, despite health-economic-isolation upheaval, express gratitude for the year’s gifts.

We share in the experience of restricted freedoms; we are widely diverse in how we manage (and interpret) those limitations. All of us find our economics altered; each of us has felt that in unique ways. Some of us have fallen ill; others have been in support roles to all kinds of disrupted care and keeping around health issues.

On a global scale, we are facing into questions of security, purpose, and loneliness. We are afraid and creative; at peace and so angry.

Who will I be in 2020?

Most certainly, this year has reminded us of how little over which we have control. For you that may be an issue of human rights. Perhaps you’ve taken a political or ideological or theological position. Maybe you’ve bunkered-down safely into your own view, feeling informed and sure of your own perspective. Alternatively, you are opting to trust the science and systems of the society that has served you well to date. You may find yourself at odds with the people you love as opinions and fears and hopes all scrabble for footing.

Through it all, there is only one thing that we can truly control: who will I be in this moment? On this day? As I enter a new year, how will I live-love-give-help-withdraw-pause?

I need to keep it simple

With a world on the wobble, I find the need to consistently simplify my own Way of Being. What is my intention in this moment? This interaction? What about my intention for the month? For myself, I keep that simple: I wish to cooperate with Goodness — for all. Goodness toward myself, and for those that I love. ‘To cooperate with Goodness for every new person I encounter. Further, to participate with the Goodness that lives in the one I disagree with.

Our boss offers her own sage process: Prepare, then Live. That is, do the thing(s) you have actual control over, and then go about the business of Living your own loving life.

For some of us, that will mean grieving deeply. 2020 hurled loss and sorrow our way. Sometimes living our own loving life means that we need to turn inward — to love our own Self back to health and wholeness.

Others of us have not been dealt so cruel a blow (or blows). Perhaps we have the resources and strength to keep taking deep breaths, rolling up our sleeves, and offering steady-on courage in the midst of radically adapting Everything.

Take care of each other

2020 has been a great Teacher. We understand more clearly today what is most valuable to us. How we spend our time and limited resources may never be the same. Our ways of taking care of one another will deepen. That feels important, hey?

Whatever the disruption of 2020 has unfurled in your life, we here at Donate a Car Canada wish you Health — in body, mind, and spirit. We wish you provision: enough to live, and enough to share. May your relationships be rich in humor and tenderness. And may Comfort and Peace find you in all of the inbetweens.

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Motorcycle donation |charity choice

DACC prides herself on choice of charity. Your donated vehicle can bring about a monetary gift on behalf of any one of thousands of Canadian charities.

One of our summer donors donated not one, but two motorcycles! The donation was facilitated by a family loved-one as part of an estate settlement (Yes! We can assist with this, too!). Their charity of choice? The Salvation Army.

The SA’s Mission Statement

The Salvation Army exists to share the love of Jesus Christ, meet human needs and be a transforming influence in the communities of our world.

Core Values

Hope: They give hope through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Service: They reach out to support others without discrimination.

Dignity: They respect and value each other, recognizing everyone’s worth.

Stewardship: They responsibly manage the resources entrusted to them.

How much will my motorcyle raise?

When our summer donor asked herself, “Should I donate my motorcyle?” she was not yet savvy to our process. We see motorcycles in a variety of conditions wind their way into our hearts. She had no way of knowing just how honoring of her loved one this process would be!

If a motorbike is recycle ready, our donation returns are on the low end. Recycle vehicle value is determined by the scrap metal and parts that can be taken from the vehicle. A motorcycle does not have much left to give at the end of its driveable life.

Our donor’s estate double donation did not fit into the recycle-ready category! Rather, we were able to send both ‘bikes to auction for as-is sale to the highest bidder.

Auctioning for charity

If I opt to donate my motorcyle and the ‘bike is auctioned, our free tow/pick-up service applies. This is a Donate a Car Canada sure-thing.

Once the motorcycle is on site at auction, it will be entered into the promotion process. The auction house may post the ‘bike on their website, or talk it around to always-interested buyers. Currently, COVID-19 has altered the sale-bid process. With more auctions moving on-line, that process is becoming more robust. You might now search, view, and bid on your hoped-for ride from the comfort of your couch.

This process was a solid win for this family’s estate!

Their two-motorcycle donation resulted in a donation of over $5,000.00 for The Salvation Army!

Should I donate my motorcycle?

Motorcycle donation is a seasonal affair here at DACC: Spring and Summer are our donation windows for ‘bikes. This is simply because that’s when the buyer base is strongest, and we can ensure the strongest possible donation outcome for your charity. It’s best if the motorbike is running and in good condition. This allows us to re-sell the ‘bike. Again, this results in a higher return for the cause you love. Some agents (in some parts of Canada) will accept recycle-ready ‘cycles. It’s always worth asking about!

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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Your decision to donate your vehicle has come with thought and care. Choosing the charity that will receive the monies from that effort poses a unique challenge.

This is an easy decision for some: we give from the heart to the causes that make our hearts leap! Where the money goes is top-of-mind for others. Above all, give where there will be the best bang for our giving buck.

Maclean’s on who, what, why

Maclean’s ezine article, “Coronavirus: Where to donate and how to help Canada’s most vulnerable,” offers concise and valuable direction. If you’re looking to donate specifically to needs arising from the pandemic, this article will help!

Many of the charities noted in on their break-out lists are charities that we work to support daily. Note the Canadian Mental Health Association, The Salvation Army, and Food Banks Canada. These are on the short-list for monetary donation. Further, SOS Children’s Villages and Kids Help Phone are high on the list.

Concerned for the personal safety of women and children in violent domestic situations, consider donating. The Canadian Women’s Foundation, Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter, and your own local shelter need you.

Similarly, we have seen how aggressively COVID-19 has impacted our Canadian seniors. The Alzheimer Society in your province needs your giving dollars now.

Canadians are all affected

As you’ll see in the Maclean’s article, these quick acknowledgments skim the surface. We should state that impact has rippled to all sectors of our society. Consider gifting indigenous causes, or, turn your attention toward those with special needs. ‘Just plum tuckered out thinking about your fellow human? Why not consider a gift to any of our animal charities? It will be welcome!

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Wisdom is never violent: where wisdom reigns there is no conflict between thinking and feeling.

But, I’m right!

Global events demand the attention of each one of us. We have strong opinions. Such firm beliefs. Furthermore, we are right! I am right. You are right. We have reasons that are good enough for us – every one of us – that to refuse to adapt, or change, or grow.

Good enough reasons to protest. Reasons that are strong enough that we won’t protest. Ideologies and understandings that demand attention. It is so very important that I be right.

For this reason, and a thousand others, we squabble with and shame and harm one another. And we each claim wisdom in the moment of heated action or argument. Equally, we argue understanding through inaction and passivity.

Is that really all there is to it?

Thomas Merton says that compassion is the acceptance of the interconnectedness of all things. So , the state of my heart is reflected in the condition of the world. This may be for peace, or for strife. It could be for goodness, or for greed. Perhaps it will be for love, but it could just as easily be for judgement.

In a wildly disrupted time (pandemic, human rights upheaval, economic disparity, and so on and on!), we have actual control over very little. Really? We have control over one thing: our Self. Who we will be. How we will be. What if your way of being has a ripple effect? What might you determine that effect to be?

For today, we here at Donate a Car Canada will continue to hold to our intention of providing exceptional donor and charity care in a wobbly world. Hands steady-at-the-scrap-car-wheel. Aiming for wisdom and compassion. And this despite our (considerable) differences of thought, belief, and certitude! We’re all in this together.

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Finding peace in a disrupted time is tough. For many of our receiving charities, that’s they’re work-a-day gig. They companion people in disrupted life circumstances.

What is peace, anyway?

The word peace may mean something different to you than it does to me. For some, peace is a feeling of calm, or the absence of conflict. Some people experience peace as the lack of any emotion at all. Others feel at peace when they have a sense of control in their lives.

I’ve come to identify peace as a quiet heart. Sometimes that means a feeling of spaciousness in my mind, heart, or even body. Another way of describing that is the ability to take a deep, deep breath — a feeling of relaxation and permission even when circumstances are very difficult.

That seems to be an important thing about peace? It is a sense of rightness, quiet, or well-being even when things all around are wobbling. Maybe even downright awful.

Can I find calm…even now?

What has the COVID-19 Pandemic been like for you? Are you having difficult finding peace in the midst of global fear? There are resources near you that can give you a little back-up if that’s what you need. Seek them out. Your mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health are worth the effort.

You may be someone who has had a gentle experience of this unprecedented upheaval. If so, might you be one who offers peace to others? You may be one of the helpers. If so, thank you! Please take care of your Self while you’re reaching out to others. And if you’re having moments when a quiet heart is illusive, reach out for your own supports, ok? We need you to keep getting your own cup filled up so that you can continue to share with others.

What DACC is doing to help

Here at Donate a Car Canada we continue to work through this crisis time to aid Canadian charities in their ongoing work. Sometimes cool cash is the best way to bring calm into the midst of a storm. Part of our role in all of this is to keep right on processing vehicle donations. Those donations result in the much-needed dollars our charities depend on to keep purveying goodness in our hurting world. Thank you for considering how you might be a part of that!

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What has this past month been like for you? If you’re the parent of school-aged children you may be feeling a lot of pressure these days. Some of you are working from home while hands-on parenting. Home schooling used to be the practice of a minority (myself included), and is now the norm. If you have a child with special needs or learning challenges, you may have added complications.

Are you finding support in all of that? There are resources available to you. Do seek them out. This is a time for asking for what we need, and leaning into available resources.

Kim Golding on peaceful parenting

My colleague forwarded this on to me just yesterday. It’s from Kim S. Golding, 2015, with an added acknowledgement of Clover Childcare, Norfolk.

This gentle 7-step guide may be a helpful resource for all of us as parents? First, it offers a reminder for us to take a minute to check in with our self when facing into a parenting conundrum. “Calm begets calm; peace begets peace.” So say parenting specialists. That calm begins with us as parents. Take a look at this:

That trusty oxygen mask

The well-worn metaphor of the oxygen mask on the airplane applies here: Mom? Dad? Take your own deep breaths first. Then tend to your kiddo.

One of my practice instructors has patiently reminded me, “When we change the dialogue with which we speak to our self, we’ll change the way we speak to others. As we transform inwardly, we’ll change outwardly.” What does she mean by that? Be nice!

This is the time to be “excessively gentle” (John O’Donohue) with ourselves. And as we turn compassion inward, we’ll find ourselves more able to be patient and understanding outwardly.

May peaceful parenting bring about peaceful kiddos in a decidedly un-peaceful time in history. You’ve got this! And where you need back-up? Reach out. You are not alone.

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Living in our Sci-Fi-like world

What has it been like for you to suddenly face into a world where masks, gloves, and empty grocery shelves are commonplace? Are you doing well?

In my other life I have a unique “job”: I listen for a living. Not as a therapist or counselor, but as one who holds story and asks questions. Challenging questions. Questions that help us to sink deeply into the mysteries and fears and wonderments of life. “Why is there suffering?” “What can I do about feeling completely overwhelmed?” “Is grief a form of mental illness?” “Am I broken?” “Is there a God? And if there is…what the heck is going on here?!”

The weird and wobbly shift we’re experiencing globally burbles those questions to the surface for some of us. When getting in a car and driving to run an errand feels like you’ve landed in a B-grade pandemic movie…well…it can get the curiosity about the deep things stirring.

Boredom…and overwhelm

Do you have the sense that we’re living in an altered reality of extremes? Those who are isolated alone, without work or resources, facing into unrelenting boredom. Others who, overnight, began juggling full-time work, hands and eyes-on parenting, and pandemic fears. Seniors with loved ones desperately reaching toward them; elderly feeling abandoned and fated to fall sick…alone. Essential workers grinding out hours of minimum-wage labor in the face of moment-by-moment risk of illness. Helpers (so many many many helpers) working flat-out to heal, relieve, come alongside suffering.

Where do you land on the spectrum? Are you okay? Maybe you feel this is all a hoax and you’re just weary of the news reel. Perhaps you’re grateful for the relief that the demand that you remain at home has brought into your overworked, over-extended life?

We’re all in this together

However we’re experiencing this wildly disruptive upheaval, we’re all in it. Those of us that have enough food to eat and a place to shelter (in self-isolation…with, or without loved ones) may come through this quite comfortably. Many will suffer much more intently. There are speed bumps to getting medication, mental health care, financial aid, and the critical social contact of human touch. Some families are sardine-canned into tiny living spaces. Some rough and rocky relationships are unsafely confined behind closed windows and doors.

Our entire charity roster has taken a tremendous hit as everyone collectively holds their breath. As many of us clutch our wallets and resources close: what if I need what I have? What if there isn’t enough to go around? I feel this shift in myself, absolutely. Where I might typically give without thinking? Now, I think carefully and do the math slowly.

When giving money and groceries isn’t an option

Donate a Car Canada continues to work on behalf of almost 1,000 Canadian charities. If you need more space in your garage to create a little distance between you and your self-isolating loved ones, consider donating that recycle-ready car through our program! Clear the driveway. Clean out that back patch in the yard that’s been cradling your, “I promise I’m gonna’ fix it up one day!” old collector. We can help you reach toward the cause you love!

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World Health Organization

The WHO notes,

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. These include Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A new strain is Coronavirus (nCoV)

Coronaviruses are transmitted between animals and people.  SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. 

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms. Fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties can present. In addition, in more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death. 

Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing. Morever, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, as well as thoroughly cooking meat and eggs is smart. Not only that, avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.

WHO on Coronavirus

Global News on COVID-19

COVID-19 cases in Canada are mild. Canadian cases are all travel-related.

How to take precautions

We are not strangers to the threat of pandemics or outbreaks. As you recall, SARS, the bird flu, and others have all grabbed our attention in recent years. What is a wise response to concerning news about health risks such as these?

While panic and catastrophic thinking are unhelpful, a measured approach to having a stock of ready supplies may bring some peace of mind? Toiletries, water, non-perishable food, and a stack of really good books may be a good place to start. Two weeks’ worth won’t take up much space, and it may come in handy.

If you’re symptomatic, stay home. We can each do our part to stem a spread if we ourselves are unwell. This is good practice with any flu or cold: we can respect our selves and our others simply by resting and healing when we’re sick.

While you’re tucked in

If you’re under the weather and finding some unexpected down time, consider our 800 charities and the work they’re doing to aid the vulnerable, ill, and unseen every day.

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