Senior donates car, helps needy mom

WEST LONG BRANCH — When a resident of a senior retirement community decided it was time to give up driving, she had no idea that donating her car would make a difference in someone else's life.

The donor's donation of her 1998 Honda Accord to the Family Lift program at MonmouthCares in West Long Branch is putting a Keansburg mother of four with a premature baby still in the hospital "behind the wheel and on her feet."

MonmouthCares is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit care management organization. In dealing with families that have children with emotional and/or behavioral challenges, the organization has identified the common problem of transportation as a barrier to employment.

To address the problem, the group created Family Lift, which matches donors of used cars with MonmouthCares families in need of transportation.

One such family the program has helped is Bernadette of Keansburg, a single mother who recently gave birth to a premature baby.

Not having a safe, reliable car has prevented Bernadette from working and contributed to her perilous financial situation. Her daily visits to the hospital require her depending on public transportation, friends and family, according to a press release from MonmouthCares.

Even when the baby is discharged, Bernadette will need a car for frequent medical appointments. After exhausting all avenues of public and charitable assistance available, Bernadette turned to Monmouth- Cares.

Bernadette's care manager at Monmouth- Cares put her on the Family Lift waiting list for a car and, after several months, a match became available. The donor had decided it was time to donate her Honda Accord, which had been at a Kay Honda for repairs ever since she had become wheelchair-bound.

The donor contacted Kathy Maude, Family Lift project manager at MonmouthCares, who discussed with her the benefits of donating a car to be used by a needy family, including the satisfaction of knowing that the car will have a new life with a family in need, and also the benefit of an income-tax deduction of fair market value, according to the release.

The next day, the donor arranged a ride over to Kay Honda in Eatontown to clean out her trunk to get the car. The service department at Kay Honda estimated repairs necessary to bring the car up to safe, reliable levels at approximately $2,000.

After Maude spoke with Ken Kallok, service director at Kay Honda, and explained the situation that Bernadette was in, Kay Honda offered to perform all necessary repairs for free. For more information, call Maude at MonmouthCares at 732-222-8008, ext. 101.