With looming SEPTA cuts and the rise of pricing on used cars, many people who are facing financial difficulties are having a harder time finding adequate transportation. Thankfully, through the Bucks County Opportunity Council, there is a solution.
Their Wheelz2Work program, created in 2015, helps their Economic Self-Sufficiency (ES) clients who are struggling with transportation as a barrier to meeting their financial goals by donating cars to the program. For those interested in donating a car to Wheelz2Work, you can now receive a reward as well.
On Wednesday, the Gene and Marlene Epstein Humanitarian Fund announced an incentive program designed to increase the capacity of Wheelz2Work. This incentive offers a $1,000 cash reward to anyone who donates a car which is deemed acceptable by BCOC and a certified mechanic. This offer is only through the month of September, and only for the first 10 automobiles donated.
“From personal experiences when I was a young person, and we were being evicted from our home, the direst need was transportation,” said Gene Epstein. “Today we see so many people, particularly in Bucks County, who have no access to public transportation and without that they cannot get to work or local colleges.”
The Gene and Marlene Epstein Humanitarian Fund first started Wheelz2Work with Bucks County Community College to help newly graduated students who did not have a car to get them to jobs. The program has since expanded to include low-income BCOC clients enrolled in the ES Program. Individuals are selected for a car donation when they meet a list of pre-determined criteria, including financial readiness to take on the responsibility of owning a vehicle. Nearly 120 cars have been donated in the decade since Wheelz2Work was created.
Donated automobiles must be in good working condition or only in need of minor repairs. BCOC has each car checked by a mechanic for road worthiness and safety, before passing it on to the new owner. Because the vehicles are given to families in need, donors are also entitled to claim the highest possible tax deduction based on the vehicle’s fair market value.
“Receiving a car from Wheelz2Work has made our lives happier and more manageable,” said a former client to the BCOC. “I no longer have to walk to shop only at the stores which are close to our home and pay whatever prices those stores charge, which are always higher. I no longer have to try to take several trains and buses to get to just one single destination.”
For those interested in donating a car, just visit www.bcoc.org/wheelz-2-work and complete the form or reach out to Danielle Bush at dbush(at)bcoc.org/215-345-8175 x 209.
