Lakewood, NJ – Kars4Kids Sees Increase In Vehicle Donations As A Result Of Hurricane Sandy

Lakewood, NJ – Car owners who saw their vehicles totaled by the gale-force winds and storm surge of Hurricane Sandy are turning their loss into a gain for charity.

According to the National Automobile Dealers Association in McLean, Virginia, an estimated 250,000 cars were destroyed or ruined during the monster storm, and that’s proven beneficial for the Lakewood, New Jersey-based nonprofit Kars4Kids, The NonProfit Times reports (http://bit.ly/Vcfuw7). Kars4Kids is the “vehicle donation arm” of JOY for Our Youth, an organization which helps Jewish children from destitute families.

Because many car owners did not have comprehensive auto insurance which protects against flooding, owners are trying to at least get a tax deduction for the donation of their unsalvageable vehicle.

“We’ve seen a big jump, especially in the hard hit areas,” said Robert Moscovits, director of business development at Kars4Kids. Moscovits says his organization has received between 1,200 and 1,500 “flood cars” from hard-hit areas in New York and New Jersey. “It’s probably about two months’ worth [of donations] in two weeks,” Moscovits said.

Vehicle owners receive a tax deduction of $500 or the amount Kars4Kids sells the car for if it exceeds $500. “When we get a flood-damaged car, we have a team that determines whether to sell it for scrap or sell it at auction,” Moscovits explained. “If we sell it at auction, the car gets a flood title, so the buyer clearly knows it has been in a flood.”

One man who gave his car to Kars4Kids said that while he was unfamiliar with the mission of the organization, he did remember their catchy radio jingle and decided to donate his flooded 2005 Toyota Matrix. “It was pretty easy [to donate],” said John Joplin. “They picked it up for me and took it away, and there was no hassle.” Joplin added that Kars4Kids handled the appraisal and the tax deduction paperwork.

Online: http://www.kars4kids.org/