Cars sought for local families in need
For over seven years, MonmouthCares has been helping Monmouth County children and their families build child and family teams to help them achieve their vision of an improved future. We have worked with over 500 children since our doors opened and continue to work to help children with emotional and behavioral problems, and their families, have the greatest opportunity to live, thrive, develop and lead as free and normal lives as possible in their communities.

The Family Lift program at MonmouthCares addresses the serious problem of public transportation as a barrier to employment opportunities by matching donors of used cars with MonmouthCares families in need of reliable transportation.

Unlike the vast majority of car donation programs, Family Life accepts donations of used, working cars, with fewer than 150,000 miles which we then have repaired and distribute to families in need.

The donation of an old car can help a family:

• Keep a job, work longer hours and accept shift work

• Find a better job outside of public transportation routes

• Get needed job training or higher education

• Drive children to medical appointments, sports, music lessons, etc.

• Become self-sufficient and self-supporting.

Donors are merely asked to drive their car to one of our partnering local mechanics, remove the plates, and sign over the title. Along with our sincere gratitude, the donor will receive an acknowledgement letter from MonmouthCares Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Unlike other charities which sell donated cars at auction, a receipt from MonmouthCares allows the donor a tax deduction of full fair market value, since the car will be used.

Our request list for vehicles currently exceeds our inventory of cars available. We are reaching out to the community in an effort to raise awareness of the need for donations and the farreaching impact that a used vehicle can have on a family in need. Several local mechanics have generously partnered with us in providing low-cost, reliable repairs.

Interested donors can contact the Family Lift coordinator at (732) 222-8008, e-mail familylift@ monmouthcmo.org and visit our Web site www.monmouthcares.org to read more about what we do.

Where there are wheels, there's a way - and with the generosity of the good citizens of Monmouth County, our Family Life initiative will continue to grow, prosper and provide the needed transportation to get needy families "behind the wheel and on their feet."
Kathy Collins
Executive Director
MonmouthCares
West Long Branch