We think it’s about time you knew some ‘behind-the-scenes’ information about how our agents’ involvement makes a difference for you, our donors!

Donate A Car operates by connecting with agents (towing companies, salvage yards, auction houses) across the country. They share our vision and process.  We invite them to participate in the joy of facilitating donations to charities nationwide. Then, when you submit your vehicle for donation, we assign it to one of those agents. They pick up or auction it on your behalf — for free!

Recently one of our family-run salvage yards participated in what turned out to be a really cool experience. And not just for them! For them, for our donor, and for our Donate A Car team. Oh! And for the charity the donor selected (in this case, the MS Society)!

Wheelin’ in a Unique Donation for the MS Society!

Talk about an interesting scenario! A Calgary woman offered her used electric wheelchair as a donation to the MS Society. At first we were unsure if we could help her with it. Although it had wheels, it wasn’t really considered a ‘vehicle’! A Calgary agent agreed to take it but then suggested it go to their sister site in Edmonton. The had a hunch that the Edmonton locale’s style of auction would get a better donation result. They then generously offered to transport the chair from Calgary to Edmonton at no charge.

In the big scheme of things, we would never have guessed what that wheelchair would bring at auction because we’ve never had the opportunity to do this before. I don’t know that any of us anticipated that it would generate almost $600.00 in a charitable amount being given to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. Woot!

What we didn’t know at the time was that the owner of the company was all over that sale. The gentleman who bought the used wheelchair is a regular attender at the Edmonton auction site. He requires the use of a wheelchair. When the compassionate auction owner discovered it was one of his ‘regulars’ who’d purchased the wheelchair he said, “I wouldn’t hear of him paying for that chair so I just went ahead and covered the cost for him. ‘Just paid for it!”

These are the moments we know we’re in the right place at the right time doing the right thing with the right people!

Thank you to all of our agent who, daily, make a difference on behalf of donors and charities alike! The MS Society and thousands (Yes – actual thousands!) more. You’ve got a lot of heart!

The post Our Agents Have Heart: MS Society Receives Unique Gift appeared first on Donate A Car.

February symbolizes so many things on the calendar, not just Valentine’s Day. In North America it’s also known as the worst month of the year for mental health because of the weather we experience and the affect it has on us. Heart and Stroke associations use this month to focus on the well-being of our physical hearts and our cardiovascular health.

Your Health in Balance

It’s interesting that those three things can intertwine and impact us completely: our mind, our emotions and our health. It’s actually a good reminder that to live fully we need to look after all aspects of our lives. With the busyness we are accustomed to, comes the tendency to think imbalance is okay. Truth be told, if one area is out of whack it is inevitable that it will affect all other areas.

At Donate A Car Canada, our quest is to support you, our donors, in facilitate your giving process through the sale or recycling of your vehicle. With those funds, causes like The Distress Centre, Canadian Mental Health Association, the Heart & Stroke Foundation, women’s shelters and dozens of other charities are helped every month to ensure we and those we love have the best possible chance of leading our best lives – happy, healthy and whole.

Heart and soul

We never, ever underestimate the value of every dollar raised, and as each year passes we are so grateful for our part in spreading the love across our Nation, to help those who may not otherwise be able to help themselves.

As much as we know love isn’t attached to a dollar figure, we do know that dollars make a difference.  You may not have a ton of money in the bank, but maybe your car can add value to others by donating it.

What is love then? Some say it is the act of giving when you know the other person cannot give in return.

In what’s left of this month, let’s try to demonstrate ‘love’ more fully, reduce stress levels and increase the serotonin we all need by:

• Extending patience
• Showing kindness
• Thinking the best of others (and maybe even ourselves!)
• Give credit to others, recognize accomplishments
• Let go of petty differences
• Forgive
• Stay hopeful
• Never give up

Let’s see how that works in making a dent in the world we experience!

The post Heart Health: What is Love Anyway? appeared first on Donate A Car.