A heart-warming tale right from Guild Festival Theatre’s GFT Times

A Father’s Day Story

What do you do with a half-burnt pickup truck? As it turns out, you can turn it into a gift to support the arts.

This Father’s Day, we’re sharing a story about a truck, a dad, and one final gift to Guild Festival Theatre.

Artistic Director Emeritus, Helen Juvonen, recently turned her late father’s pickup truck into a donation to GFT through Donate A Car Canada. In Helen’s words: 

“When my father passed away in 2022 I inherited his pick-up truck. He had loaned it to me several times over the years, often to haul set pieces all across the city.

The truck did a lot of heavy lifting for GFT – transporting the Drowning Girls bathtubs, audience chairs, and going on tour to Prescott and Port Perry, carrying all of Alice in Wonderland’s unusual props. It was even immortalized on film in my web series You’re Never Alone.

Act Two for a truck with Guild Festival Theatre ties

In April, while I was away in Prince George (and about 15 minutes before showtime) I got a call from Tyler. The truck had caught fire in our driveway. He wasn’t home at the time but our neighbours had quickly called 911. Nobody was hurt, there was some minor damage to our property, but our garbage bins had melted and the truck was…toast. We can’t be absolutely sure what happened but our best guess is that a rodent chewed a wire and its nest, or some other debris, caught on fire. But I think it was a sign from my dad – probably warning us that the cost of upkeep and gas wasn’t worth it anymore.

Now, what to do with a half-burnt pick-up truck? A little research led us to Donate-A-Car Canada. They sent a tow truck to haul it away, the truck was evaluated and we had $300 to donate to charity. It seemed fitting that its final act was a donation to the theatre. Thanks, Dad.“

This Father’s Day, we’re grateful for the many ways people leave a lasting legacy. If you have a vehicle you’re no longer using, Donate A Car Canada can help turn it into support for Guild Festival Theatre or another cause close to your heart.”

Act Three is yours to write!

Do you have a vehicle that’s ready to make a dramatic exit? Hopefully yours isn’t making its final bow as a result of a critter-provoked blaze!

Every car counts when supporting the arts in Canada. If your unused or unwanted vehicle is re-sale ready we will put it up for bids. It will sell as-is to the highest bidder.

If your vehicle has given you all its got to give we’ll recycle it.

Either way, the net proceeds from the process are disbursed to your Canadian charity of choice. Then, you receive a tax receipt!

We can’t wait to hear your story! We are excited to extend the legacy of your vehicle!

The post Raising the Curtain on Guild Festival Theatre Vehicle Donation appeared first on Donate A Car.

Camry donors fill charity piggy banks one car at a time

‘Considering vehicle donation? These Camry donation outcomes might inspire you to punch the gas on your decision!

In the first few months of this year we’ve excitedly disbursed $618.55 to the Farley Foundation. A loving daughter facilitated the process on behalf of her father. $985.80 went to Autism Ontario, and $6,324.00 to Parkinson Canada! Re-sale ready vehicles earn big for every donor’s charity of choice.

Has your Toyota given you all it has to give? Whenever we are unable to re-sale a donated vehicle, it is recycled. Every year, hundreds of vehicles are scrapped for charity. Here are just a few organizations that have benefitted from scrapping a Camry in the past couple of months: The Scott Mission, Abbey Cat Adoptions, The Heart & Stroke Foundation, and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation! Each of these charities has received several hundred dollars in donations, and the Toyota donors have all received a tax receipt.

More Toyotas driving change

And wait! There’s more! Here are just a few more re-sale outcomes to celebrate:

$2731.40 raised for RMHC South Central Ontario

$7524.00 sent to Parkinson Canada

$821.50 disbursed to Parachutes for Pets

It just doesn’t get any more rewarding than this! Every Toyota counts! Actually, every vehicle counts — truck, car, van, SUV, and motorcycle. Sometimes we can even process and RV or a boat for your beloved charity!

Just tickled by Toyota donor feedback

One Toyota donor for the BC SPCA trilled that they were,

“Thrilled to share my experience…

Extremely fast and easy! It was so simple and way quicker than I ever expected.

Donate a Car Staff were very helpful and friendly! I got an email back with all of the information I could possibly need super quickly after I submitted my form.

My towing agent was lovely. The call to set everything up was very timely and he very kindly explained the process to me and was patient with all of my questions!

“Sad little car” makes for grateful and happy charity

I was beyond happy with the tow service! The morning of pickup I needed to provide a little extra
information and the driver went above and beyond to accommodate me and kindly took the extra time to buzz into my building and hide my plates as I was not home and sent me a picture of my sad little car all loaded up!

I really can’t say enough good things about this process and how simple everything was made for me, and I appreciate everything you all did each step of the way!
I would go this route in future for sure and will highly recommend it to others.

Thank you so so so much!!”

Camry donors keep the engine running

As I finish up this week’s post, we’re wrapping up a $600.00 Camry gift for The Ottawa Mission. SPCA Saskatoon will benefit from a rusty and salvage-ready Camry with a recycle donation outcome. Diabetes Canada and YFC London both have similar gift amounts coming to them at month end, as will a hospital foundation in BC.

This way of giving is simple and quick. Furthermore, it’s free! Free for you; free for your charity of choice.

The first step in donating is to fill in an online donation form. This will take just a few minutes. It will be helpful to have your VIN handy when you sit down to do it. ‘Not one for computers? No problem! Give us a call at 1-877-250-4904! We’re happy to take your information over the phone.

Then, watch your inbox for some email direction about next steps (including who you can expect to call to arrange your free tow).

Finally, sit back and wait for your tax receipt.

It really is that easy. And every car really does make such a difference for the charity you care about!

The post Crazy About Camry Car Donations appeared first on Donate A Car.

Heritage Office Furnishings 2026 breaking news!

If you thought this company was done at 17 vehicles, then you couldn’t be more mistaken! The count is at 20 vehicles donated by Heritage Office Furnishings / WDI for their charities of choice! So many minivans making such a big difference!

November 2021 update

Make that 18 vehicles! ‘Company adds one more fleet HHR to all of the Goodness you’ll read about below:

Company giving helps more than charity

In the summer of 2021 we celebrated an anniversary of sorts! We first encountered Heritage Office Furnishings six years ago. Almost to the day of this original post. From the start they set themselves apart as a special donor. Their first gift? Three (3) vehicles!

Ever so quietly, HOF has continued this practice of giving. Just this month they donated yet another Chevy. Without fanfare they give Dodge after Chevy…after Dodge. This kind of Goodness is about more than just money. In so giving,

• Heritage Office Furnishings engages in good practices in managing their fleet.
• Earth care is part of the gift. Moreover, our agents endeavor to employ green practices in vehicle recycling and re-selling.
• Car, truck, and van donation supports other local business. Our agents, coast-to-coast, serve in your backyards.
• Canadian charities are supported. Again and again! Every donated unit is looked at individually. The donor receives a free tow. The charity receives the net proceeds from the re-sale or recycling of the car, truck, van, or motorcycle.

Commitment to their cause(s)

Heritage Office Furnishings has championed one charity many times. In fact, when we first joined efforts, this charity was not even on our receiving list!

The Regional Animal Protection Society (RAPS) can be your charity of choice thanks to this company!

RAPS

The Regional Animal Protection Society is all about critter care.

“Our dream is to provide a community where no stray cats roam the streets. All animals should be loved and respected, and have lifelong homes.”

The RAPS Cat Sanctuary was built in order to rescue and protect homeless and abandoned cats and kittens. It is now one of the largest cat sanctuaries in North America. The Sanctuary provides a safe permanent home to hundreds of feral, abandoned, and surrendered cats. It is maintained by about 200 volunteers who create a loving, clean, comfortable, and safe home for the cats.

All of the cats are treated at the RAPS Animal Hospital. This is one of the largest not-for-profit animal hospitals in Canada. RAPS believes that every life is a valuable life.

VOKRA

This June (with donation number 17, if you can imagine!), HOF selected a different charity. The happy recipient-to-be?

VOKRA – the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association. Their mission? To end kitten homelessness one trap at a time.

“At VOKRA our mission is to end cat overpopulation and homelessness. One of the ways we’re helping accomplish this is through to Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), the process of trapping feral cats, spaying or neutering them, and then returning them to the location they came from. Trapping these cats and kittens is the first step towards finding them their furever homes.“

Your company can help

Home Office Furnishings is a rare company indeed! Working alongside them since 2015 is a privilege.

Does your company have an unused or unwanted car, truck, or van to donate? The giving process is simple! Within 10 – 15 minutes, we will gather your information. Part of that process will be your charity choice. You can choose from our list of almost 1,000 Canadian charities!

Your chosen charity will receive the net proceeds from the re-sale or recycling of your company vehicle. They will then send your business a tax receipt for that amount.

Inspired by HOF and ready to jump right in? ‘Already have an cause in mind? Your charity is waiting, and we’re here to help!

The post Update: Heritage Office Furnishings/WDI Services Ltd. Donates 17 Vehicles…and Counting! appeared first on Donate A Car.

When the donating “how” matters as much as the “why”

When a donor calls or writes in ready to donate their vehicle, they usually have a very clear Why. They are donating because they care. That caring comes in all shapes: love for critters and passion for health causes; concern for community and love of the arts; faith and hope for the future.

It’s important that every donor’s reason for giving is met with an efficient, personal, respectful process.

Two things that count for everything here at Donate a Car? The How of getting things done around here? Well, they’re the two things that may matter very much to you when you’re considering the big generosity of donating a car, truck, van, SUV, or motorcycle.

Integrity

You won’t find a lot of flash and bang around here. We are a solid team with a solid process. ‘Tried and true for two decades, in fact! We make no false claims, and we are proud to run our little business with honesty and human dignity. Through the years we’ve experienced some dirty dealin’ — not everyone plays fair in the vehicle donation industry. We breathe deep and easy knowing that from day one we have served with transparency and fairness. “Integrity” isn’t a tired or overused word around here. It’s a daily practice.

Donor and charity support

That integrity runs through the second reason you’ll want to keep us in mind when donating a vehicle: our support for donors and charities is second to none. You’ll see it in our Google Reviews: communication is top notch around here. Whether you’re connecting via telephone or email, you’re engaging funny, attentive, and capable humans. We care. A lot. And we care about what you care about. Our best day is helping you have a fully amazing donation experience from start to finish!

And we’re here for your charity of choice, too. We take care of every aspect of vehicle donation so that they need do nothing. In fact, even the tax receipting process is managed by CanadaHelps so that the charity simply needs to receive the funds. There’s no need to divert their attention from the work they love doing because every detail is tended for them.

One donor’s story offers some perspective

One Manitoban offered some reassuring words the other day. A hearty reminder of why this stuff matters so much!

“Hi! Just wanted to let you know that the tow company arrived as scheduled (the operator was pleasant and accommodating), and I cancelled my insurance on it the next day.
 
After almost 19 years of driving my Vibe to commute back and forth to work almost 100kms per day during the week and travelling through some very nasty prairie weather (all of which that car got me through safely and reliably), it was sad to ‘her go’ but it was just time to say goodbye.  With it being a stick (manual transmission), there just wasn’t anyone interested in buying it from me.  
 

She offers a little more on the integrity of the how and the why of it all…

So, I turned to making it into a donation and hope that in that way it will have some value to CancerCare Manitoba because we are all affected by this disease in one way or another.

I had originally thought to donate it to (another vehicle donation program) but searching for that site landed me on the Donate A Car Canada website which had so many other worthy organizations from which to choose, it was a bit of a struggle to decide on which one!  I’m confident that CancerCare is the best decision.
 
Lastly, thank you.  I found the Donate A Car Canada website to be a very straight forward and easy process!  The emails and the telephone calls I received were all very informative and very pleasant, putting me at ease with making the donation.   I would definitely recommend this process to anyone wishing to dispose of an old/aging vehicle.”

Low key generosity, high key joy

From time-to-time a donor will ask about our advertising efforts compared to other car donation programs.

One of the ways we keep our overhead (very!) low is by operating as an on-line entity. We rely on word-of-mouth and internet searching for our donations. This ensures that we’re not investing dollars into marketing that could be going directly to our hundreds of receiving charities.

So, if you’ve seen a TV ad, that’s not us! ‘Spot a boss ad on a billboard, or hearing it on the radio. Nope. Not us either!

How ever you have found us, your vehicle can contribute to the charity of your choice. If you’d like to learn more, jump to our Contact Us page. You’ll see our toll-free number there. Call us during business hours, MST, Monday to Friday! Just as easy? Send us your questions via email — we typically respond within a couple of hours (unless you’ve caught us in the middle of the night…we do need to take a snooze from time-to-time). We’re looking forward to working alongside you on behalf of the cause you love!

The post No Jingles, No Billboard Sass; Just Boring Ol’ Integrity appeared first on Donate A Car.

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.

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.