New Incentive Aimed At Boosting Car Donations To Bucks Wheelz2Work Program

DOYLESTOWN, PA — The Gene and Marlene Epstein Humanitarian Fund has announced an incentive program designed to increase the capacity of Bucks County Opportunity Council’s (BCOC) Wheelz2Work program.

Started in 2015, Wheelz2Work matches donated cars with BCOC economic self-sufficiency clients who are struggling with transportation as a barrier to meeting their financial goals. The new incentive program is offering a $1,000 cash reward to anyone who donates a car, which is deemed acceptable by BCOC and a certified mechanic.

Bucks County philanthropist Gene Epstein remembers the hardships of his childhood.

“From personal experiences when I was a young person, and we were being evicted from our home, the direst need was transportation. 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.”

When Gene brought the idea of Wheelz2Work to the Bucks County Community College, the objective was to help students with transportation issues. Now, 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.

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. In the decade that the program has been active, nearly 120 cars have been donated to deserving, hard-working people.

If you have a vehicle that you are not using or were planning on trading in for a new one, consider donating it as an option. Donors are entitled to claim the highest possible tax deduction, based on the vehicle’s fair market value, because these vehicles are given to families in need.

Jackie and her son react to receiving one of the cars. (Bucks County Opportunity Council)

Gene believes that “donating an automobile is the best thing that you can possibly do for yourself. It is an incredibly great feeling when you donate an automobile that will physically change someone’s life for the better. It offers them a hand up-that is so important.”

A former ES client commented, “Receiving a car from Wheelz2Work has made our lives happier and more manageable. 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.”

Donating a car is easy. Visit www.bcoc.org/wheelz-2-work and complete the form or reach out to Danielle Bush at dbush@bcoc.org/215-345-8175, ext. 209. Through September, the Gene and Marlene Epstein Humanitarian Fund will donors a check for $1,000 for every car that is accepted by the Opportunity Council.

The program is limited to a maximum of 10 automobiles.

Gene urges everyone to get involved. “Never worry that you are doing too much to help others. You are doing too little if you can do more," he said.

BCOC is the lead anti-poverty, non-profit organization in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, dedicated to ending poverty by connecting people with the resources they need to thrive.

BCOC has five major program areas: Housing, Food, Weatherization, Volunteer Income Tax Preparation (VITA) and the Economic Self-Sufficiency (ES) Program. Housing includes street outreach, rental and move in assistance and utility shut-off prevention. Food services distributes food directly to families through a network of 74 food pantries and distribution sites. Weatherization services assist families in reducing their energy costs. VITA provides free income tax preparation assistance. The ES Program assists individuals and families to leave poverty permanently through case management, education, and employment.

For 60 years, the Opportunity Council has served low-income families in Bucks County by helping them to stabilize when in crisis, garner resources to achieve a livable wage, gain additional education and training, and work towards economic self-sufficiency.