Tag: Donate a Car Canada

Kindness Matters

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, Making a Difference

Is kindness uncommon?

“When one reaches out to help another he touches the face of God.” – Walt Whitman 

Your kindness counts

Henri Nouwen says, "...our faithfulness to a small task is the most healing response to the illnesses of our time." Kindness matters, and your efforts in the smallest expressions of that goodness can have large effect.

Take a little minute and consider the nature of the acts of kindness that have most put air in your own lungs. Was it a break, a smile, a compliment, a hand up, or a hard-earned treat? Whatever it was, it probably didn't cost the giver much, and it made a difference to your day. What was it like for you to be the recipient? And did you go on to be a giver of the same?

Benefits to bein' nice

Psychology Today notes, "A recent study, Kindness Counts, conducted by researchers from the University of British Columbia and the University of California, Riverside, broke new ground by showing the benefits derived by tweens when they were taught happiness-increasing strategies.

For a month, several hundred 9-11 year-olds performed and recorded three acts of kindness each week for anyone they wished. Another several hundred kept track of three pleasant places they visited during the week.

Not surprisingly, the results were consistent with adult studies. When kids performed acts of kindness or took notice of the pleasant places they visited during the week, they significantly increased feelings of happiness and satisfaction.

But those who performed acts of kindness received an additional benefit.  Measuring how well children were liked or accepted by their peers, the study showed those who performed acts of kindness gained an average of 1.5 friends during the four-week period – good support for the idea that 'nice guys finish first.'" (Acts of Kindness: Key to Happiness for Children & Teens)

Three acts of kindness each week? 'Sounds do-able! Let's take up that challenge and make a difference.

flipping4charity

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, Making a Difference, You and Your Health

What Six Pack is up to

Lapadat's daily car flip challenge is trackable via our Donate a Car Canada Twitter likes. 'Good days, or tough days, Ryan is working hard for a wide variety of Canadian charities.

Learn more about Ryan, his vision and mission, and just how much he's already tackled (and flipped) in his career, so far. Check him out at The Great Canadian Bucket List. This guy is committed to his craft and to caring for Canadians in larger-than-life ways.

Charities

Over 100 of our receiving charities are being spotlighted in Ryan's ambitious endeavor. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada is in his sights. BBBS is changing lives by investing time and mentoring resources into the lives of Canadian young people. "Changing the course of young lives changes the future of communities. By every measure, BBBS returns positive results in the mental health, employment and civic engagement" of the recipients of their programs.

How to give

Follow and share Ryan "Six Pack" Lapadat's power lifting, flipping4charity efforts on Twitter. Explore ways to give to the charities that he's championing. Volunteer, offer gifts-in-kind, donate cool cash, or donate your vehicle. Every gift counts!

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Car Flipping for Charity

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, Making a Difference

We're just days away from Donate a Car Canada's biggest charity spotlight event ever! On July 1st, Ryan "Six Pack" Lapadat begins his powerhouse efforts to bring car flipping awareness to over 100 Canadian charities in 143 days.

The man

The plan

So, what exactly is Ryan getting himself up to for charity this time 'round? He's flipping a car, of course!

Starting on July 1st, Six Pack is planning to flip a car, every day, for almost 150 days. We'll be tracking him online and collaborating with him in giving shout-outs to our charities. Watch for our blog posts, Tweets, and Facebook updates to see where Ryan is and what he's up to on any given day.

Some of our charities are excited to be planning special events around Lapadat's feats of strength. Stay tuned for more information about where he's been and who has been helped by his unique skills.

And how you can be involved

Keeping an eye out for Six Pack's daily charity boosts will be an easy and exciting way to get a quick peek at what some of Canada is about charity-wise. You'll see many children's charities spotlighted (Ryan's personal mission is to see kids inspired to greatness). Many of our health-related charities will also be getting some attention via his car-flipping mastery.

No funds are being directly raised by Ryan or Donate a Car through this venture. Our deserving charities will receive some much-needed exposure through these events. Further, folks interested in donating to charity will be presented with some of their many Canadian options.

'Ready to donate today? Just click here...

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Farming Smarter

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, Knowing the Industry, Making a Difference, You and Your Health
Farming Smarter

Farming Smarter aims to
sustain our land, water, soil, and farmers for the benefit of everyone.

Farming Smarter is growing stewardship

Farming Smarter makes a commitment to foster sustainable farming practices. For example, wherever they can, they will partner, research, inform, and support cost effective projects that are good for the land, air, water and crops.

Currently working in Southern Alberta, their Innovative Projects include:

  • Deep banding immobile nutrients
  • High value specialty crops
  • Precision planting canola
  • Cover crops across Prairie Canada
  • Alternative flee beetle management without neonicotinoids. What is a flee beetle? And why do they matter? Here's what the FS site has to say:
    Flea beetles are one of the major canola pests in Alberta. Currently neonicotinoid-based seed treatments are often used to protect canola seedlings from flea beetle damage. PMRA's recommendation to phase out the use of neonicotinoids has caused concern for growers. Without these seed treatments different control mechanisms must be considered by growers. These may be alternate seed treatment, increased seeding rates, or foliar insecticides. These activities may have negative environmental consequences. Furthermore, they may be less effective than current strategies and they will incur increased production costs

Curious? Check out their summer events:

Farming Smarter invites you to a summer of field school and "plot hops." You may also want to explore their farm days and conference options.

Interested in other projects they've researched? Visit their site and explore:

Why donate to this charity?

Many people don’t realize that F.S. is a registered Canadian charity. They are a non-profit association funded by grants, sponsorship, and donations.  Above all, money donated to them stays in southern Alberta and funds locally directed agriculture focused research.
Your donation to this work, for example, could help them do your most critical agricultural research.

In short, if this resonates with your own values and concerns, we can help!

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Vehicle Donation in Canada

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, Knowing the Industry, Making a Difference

Vehicle donation in Canada should be a simple and cost-free process. As the donor, you have several donating options. Check your options carefully - not all donation programs are equal in integrity or service. Donate a Car Canada is all-Canadian, providing over 800 charities to choose from. 'Have a cause you love? We can process your car, truck, and (seasonally) motorcycle. For free! The net sale proceeds will go to your charity of choice.

How this works

The simplest way to proceed with your vehicle donation is to click any of the pick n pull buttons on our webpage. That click will take you to an online form for your donation. The form is simple to understand, and it only asks for information we really need to process your car or truck promptly.

Not having success with the online form? No problem! Give us a direct call at 1-877-250-4904. Our phone team will be happy to talk with you. They'll walk you through the form if you like, but will also be happy to just fill it all out for you.

Done that step? Leave it to us. We'll contact a nearby towing company and arrange for your free and timely pick-up. Don't worry: no one will show up for the vehicle until they've called to arrange best timing with you.

The tow guys will come for your auto, process it, and send us payment. The dollar outcome is subject to (always!) fluctuating metal prices in Canada. Once we have payment from our tow agent, we'll forward the proceeds on to your charity.

What does the charity have to pay?

Not a thing! We have written agreements with our supported charities that they will issue tax receipts in a prompt manner. Apart from that, the work is all taken care of by us here at DACC. Many of our charities receive thousands of dollars each year; some of the lesser-known organizations would be grateful for a little extra from you!

The difference you make

Vehicle donation in Canada has a multi-layer impact. First, it allows you to have a recycle or re-sale ready vehicle picked-up and processed at no cost to you. But the benefits don't end there. The charity of your choice will certainly benefit. And so will the environment (clean, thorough recycling practices matter). The longer reach? Many of our supporting tow agents are small, local companies: keeping wheels on the ground with a steady stream of work matters, too.

So, give us a click and let us get you on your way with your vehicle donation today!

Honda Civic | 21 Years at the Top

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, Knowing the Industry

The Honda Civic did it again. For 21 years in a row the Civic has been Canada's best-selling car.

Civic eclipses competition

As passenger cars go, this little Honda is Canada's top pick. In their article on our top ten most wanted, Driving.ca notes,

"Only half a decade ago, the Honda Civic’s share of Canada’s passenger car market was 8 per cent. It was a staggering figure, but it’s now far overshadowed by a 12 per cent share of the Canadian car market. 2018 saw the Civic claim Canada’s title as the best-selling car for a 21st consecutive year, and the Civic did so in dominant fashion by maintaining its equilibrium in a rapidly declining car market. The Civic outsold its closest rival by a 41 per cent margin."

Who else is in the game?

The Elantra was once thought to rival the Honda Civic for buyer interest. Driving.ca goes on to say,

"Once seen as the vehicle that could overtake the Honda Civic – and it often did, on a monthly basis – the Hyundai Elantra is now a distant third-place candidate in the passenger-car battle. The Elantra narrowed the race to a slim margin in 2013, when sales of the Hyundai peaked and Civic volume was only 16 per cent stronger. But Honda now sells 65 per cent more Civics than Hyundai sells Elantras. Elantra volume slipped to an eight-year low."

The longevity and performance of the Civic has won the confidence of Canadian drivers. With varied conditions year 'round, and the demands of terrain and traffic, we expect a lot from our cars. This little Honda continues to be the car of choice for those in the market for a passenger vehicle.

What that means for donations

It's not surprising, then, that we see many Hondas rolling through our donation program. But here's the difference: our Honda donors have held on to their car for 15, 20, or 25 years. Accords and Civics are donated regularly, but not until they've given every last gasp to their owner. This compares with other makes/models significantly. It's not uncommon to see a PT Cruiser, Elantra, or Cavalier being donated after only 8 - 10 years of drive time. Some Mazdas get eaten alive by rust and just can't handle Canadian winters.

These makes and models are loved by their owners (our donors), but the performance on those Hondas just can't be beat!

Do you have a trusty old Civic that's served you well, but that now needs end of life processing? Consider extending the vehicle's good service by donating to your charity of choice!

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Photo courtesy of https://www.honda.ca/civic_coupe

Black History Month

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, Making a Difference
Black History Month
Photo credit

Black History Month in Canada is from February 1 - 28, 2019. From philosophers to our Prime Minister, our citizens honor this effort.

Prime Minister Trudeau on this month's significance

Canada's Black History Month campaign is "Black Canadian Youth: Boundless, Rooted and Proud."

Viola Desmond honored

You may be familiar with names like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. Canadians have their own iconic figures in the ongoing (so slow in maturing) growth of equal civil rights. Viola Desmond is one such woman. HalifaxToday.ca notes, "In 1946 Ms. Desmond was arrested and later tried after refusing to sit in a segregated area of a New Glasgow, Nova Scotia movie theatre. It became a catalyst for equal rights in Canada." This month she will be honored with a coin bearing her image -- a solid reminder of the courage she exemplifies.

Black History Month1
Photo credit

Our role in ensuring equality

We each play a part in moving our country toward equality, belonging, and respect for all. I am a screamingly white (and straight) girl with the happy luck of being born into a life where I can murmur, "First world problems, am I right??" I do so with honest self-deprecation and more than a dash of awareness of my own privileged life. For my part, the line is clear: Just don't be a jerk, Sandra. Do be kind. Be real. Care deeply and authentically.

I should ask questions about things I don't understand. And ask those questions sensibly. I must offer dignity to all in the manner I wish to receive it. To all, and in the manner I wish to receive it. I must not assume. Anything. Because the truth is, I just don't know. I don't get it. I can't possibly get what it is to be born a person of color, an indigenous person, or an individual struggling with sexual identity. So, the privilege extends: it is on me to grow my understanding. To support governments and policies and consumer choices that ensure equality and inclusion? That's my Canadian-born right and responsibility. And to love as I would be loved? Well, that's just common sense.

Your caring cause

If this is one of those issues that lands close to home for you, visit our charities page to explore the supporting charities that are benefited by our program.

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New Year 2019 | Curiously Unresolved

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, Making a Difference, You and Your Health
New Year2       It's a new year. 2019 has come, one of our DACC gals, Laura-Lee, so hopefully commented, with 365 new possibilities. How do you tackle the flip of the calendar? Resolutions? Rebellion against resolutions? Same-old, same-old? Continue reading "New Year 2019 | Curiously Unresolved" →

Naps – Your Body Wants ’em, Your Brain Needs ’em

Posted by Sandra on in Blog, You and Your Health
Naps. When is the last time someone gave you permission to snuggle in to the couch, midday, and just grab a few minutes of snooze? When is the last time you gave yourself permission? Continue reading "Naps – Your Body Wants ’em, Your Brain Needs ’em" →